


What Did You Just Say?

by Shade_OKiller



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Crack Pairings, F/F, F/M, Faunus discrimination, Mute Neo, Other, Ruby is Qrows daughter AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, blind Fox
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-24
Updated: 2016-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-03 04:48:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 29,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5277302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shade_OKiller/pseuds/Shade_OKiller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where the first thing your soulmate says to you is written somewhere on your body, in their colour.</p><p>This does not make things any easier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coco/Fox: Partnership

When Fox was five his mother had sat him down and explained about his soulmate. He knew what they were of course, he listened to Whimsy movies with closed captioning and they were all about soulmates. People who gave up their voice, who left their homes forever, who fraught in wars, who overcame any difficulty.

So yes, he knew what soulmates were, he just didn’t know anything about his.

His mother sat him down and he could smell her flowery perfume and the sent of baking that still clung to her cloths (and wafted from the kitchen, mmm brownies).

“You’re going to be starting school next week.” His mum said. “Are you excited?”

“Yes!” He said, grinning in her direction.

“Well, I think you should know what your words are before then.”

Fox started rubbing the patch on his arm, excitement bubbling in his tummy. “Really?” He asked, rubbing the patch on his arm he knew his mark was on, even though it didn’t feel any different to the rest of his arm.

“Really, really.” His mum said, laughing a little.

“What does it say?”

“It says ‘so, partners huh?’” His mother said, tapping each words location. “And it’s written in light brown with very pretty handwriting.”

Fox poked his tongue out.

“Well, your father and I thought that it might come up at school, and you’re old enough that you should know.” She wrapped him up in a big hug.

-

The first day of school and Fox was excited. Since his mother had told him his words he was sure that he would meet his soul mate today. Keeping his cane folded he let mum guide him to his class room and drop him off at the door.

“Hello Fox, Mrs Alistair, I’m Miss Brown and I’m going to be your teacher this year.” She had a nice voice but Fox suddenly felt very shy and waved from where he was holding mum’s arm. “Fox, would you like me to take you over to the other children on the mat?”

Fox nodded, slipped his hand out of mum’s grip and held it out to Miss Brown. Her hand was warm and soft and she led him to the mat space on the floor.

He sat down with his folded cane in his lap and tired not to be nervous.

“Hi.” Said a girls voice form next to him. “My name’s Olive, what’s yours?”

“I’m Fox.”

“How come you have that stick?” She asked.

“It’s not a stick, it’s a cane. I can’t see so it means I don’t walk into anything.” Fox said.

“Oh, but that means you don’t know what the classroom looks like!” She sounded horrified. “Well, the walls are this weird pink colour with dark blue pin boards. There’s a bunch of desks…” She continued to describe the class room and Fox grinned.

No one said Fox’s words that day, or the next, or the next.

That was okay though, the characters in Whimsy stories sometimes had to wait a hundred years, he could wait too!

…

“It’s nice to meet you, Fox.” Said his desk-mate in year two.

“You too Dray.” Fox said.

…

“Do you need help?” Asked his desk-mate.

“No, I’m fine.” Fox smiled. “What’s your name?”

…

“Hi, I’m Fox.”

“Hey, guess we’re desk buddies.”  
…

By the time high school rolled around Fox had a reputation that, to his parent’s pleasure, wasn’t ‘that one blind ginger kid’. It was probably just as bad to be known as the ‘group project nut’ but he did bring it on himself. He volunteered for them, perked up when they were mentioned, did good work.

He wasn’t subtle, Olive who had stayed a friend from day one laughed at him while pointing people his way. She also helped him train on weekends for the Beacon Academy entrance exam. Something that seemed a lot closer than it should be.

He wanted to be a hunter, his semblance hopefully meant they’d look past the blindness and let him try. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do if they didn’t let him in.

“Pfft, they have to let you in Fox, you’re awesome.” Olive groaned after practice one night. “I’m rolling my eyes by the way.”

“I guessed.” Fox grinned.

“Aren’t you a clever one then.”

“What happened to that nice girl I used to know?” Fox mused, trying to stretch aching muscles.

“Over exposure to an orange haired asshole.”

“Rude.” Fox groaned. “I’m blind, you’re supposed to be nice to me.”

“I am nice to you, I only let dad beat you twice.”

“I hate you.” He complained.

“Aw, you’re my best friend too.” Olive paused and Fox felt genuine dread. “So it’s my duty to make you run another lap.”

“Ugh.” Fox protested, already standing up. “Race you.”

“You’re on.”

…

“You will all have to use a personal landing strategy. Once in to forest you will, inevitably, partner up. That partner will be the person you spend the next four years with, so you had best be able to work with each other.

“You will be partnering with the first person you see.

“Your objective is to retrieve the artefact from the forest temple. Remember, the Emerald forest is filled with creatures of grim, so this task will not be easy.”  
Even focusing on the task ahead Fox couldn’t ignore that feeling of hope that still came up when someone mentioned partnering up.

When he was launched into the air he was, as a result, less than prepared. The free fall was fun, the landing less so. He semblance could only do so much, so he suck his blades in a tree and hoped.

As he walked through the forest he sent regular pulses out, each giving him an idea of what was around him. He felt the person before he heard them, coming from somewhere to his left.

“So,” A female voice drawled. “Partners, huh?”

Fox was fairly sure an Ursa Major could have shown up and kissed him without his notice. Holy shit, someone said it, she said it.

“Do you have any idea how many group projects I did trying to find you?” He asked instead, before wincing.

She just laughed. “Probably about as many as I did.” She said. “I’m Coco, Coco Adel.”

“Fox Alistair.”

“Well Fox, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership.”


	2. Ruby/Neo: Not a Word

Ruby wasn’t born with a soul mark, but that was fine! There were plenty of people who didn’t get their soul mark until they were in school. Besides, Mum knew all sorts of stories about people who fell in love with someone who wasn’t their soulmate and went on to be awesome! Ruby could be just as awesome as them. That’s why she was going to be a Huntress! They were so cool and they got to save the day and fight monsters and help people heaps.

When Ruby turned ten and her soulmark still hadn’t shown up she locked herself in her room. Everyone in her class had a soulmark, she was the only one who didn’t and it sucked. It sucked so much she ignored Yang banging on her door, and Zwei’s confused barking. She could mope if she wanted to, it was her party.

“You know, my soulmark didn’t show up until I was fourteen.” Ruby jumped and glared at her uncle Qrow. “Yeah, it’s not what you want to hear, but you can’t change it.”

Ruby didn’t say anything, just tried to glare a hole into her floor.

“Come on, if you aren’t downstairs I have to eat your sisters cooking and no one gets cake. You wouldn’t subject you’re favourite uncle to that would you?”

“You’re my only uncle.” Ruby complained.

“So I had better be your favourite.” He grinned at her.

“Did you get me a birthday present?” She asked, poking her tongue out at him.

“Hmmmm.” He made a show of thinking about it. “Nope.”

“Uncle Qrooowwww.” She complained, laughing.

“Well, if you want a present you have to come downstairs to get it.”

Ruby looked away, curling up into a ball. Qrow sighed and sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“Fourteen? Really?” she asked, peeking up at him.

“Mmhm, haven’t met them yet either. But I will, and yours will come in too, and you’ll meet them.” He squeezed her briefly. “Gonna come down to your party now?”

“Yeah, otherwise Yang will eat all the cake.”

“Can’t have that.” Qrow agreed. “Come on then.” He picked her up and carried her over one shoulder.

“UNCLE QROW!!” She screeched, giggling and hitting his back.

“Problem?” He asked, tickling the back of her legs.

“Ahh, stop it put me down!” Ruby laughed.

“Hmmm nope.” He said, bouncing down the stairs.

With the birthday girl back in attendance (and almost dropped in the cake, thanks Zwei) the party started again.

…

Eventually Ruby just ignored her lack of soulmark. She started wearing full length sleeves, and tights under her dresses. She started to use private changing rooms, or get changed in stalls. It wasn’t that she was ashamed or shy, she just didn’t like the looks people gave her when they realised she didn’t have a mark. Like she had to be pitied, or there was something wrong with her.

Even Yang got awkward about it sometimes.

Uncle Qrow was awesome though! He started teaching her how to use a scythe! And helped her design Crescent Rose. Even if he did keep trying to sneak clockwork into it, or initial QB somewhere in the mechanics. She was too clever for him though.

Thanks to him she was awesome! If he hadn’t been helping her she’d still be complete rubbish. Her teachers might have made her change weapons.

So maybe she didn’t have a soulmark, she was going to be an awesome huntress anyway.

…

Neo was born with her soulmark. Bright red, very messy, writing scrawled ‘Oh my gosh I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to are you ok? I’m really sorry please be ok.’ Along her collar bone.

She wanted to know what exactly they had done. Roman thought they sounded annoying “just like you.” But he was an ass so she’d just pickpocket him and buy some ice cream.

Neo didn’t worry about it, soulmates were guaranteed to meet. Only… what would she say? She couldn’t say anything; would they even know who she was?

“Neo, what are you doing here?” Roman asked, looking up from his table. “Actually, whatever it is you want I don’t want to know.”

Neo pouted and let her eyes switch to brown. Roman sighed. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Pouting even more, because Roman was being no fun at all, Neo pulled out her Scroll and typed: _I want Ice cream._

“Well Neo, I would love to take you for ice cream however someone seems to have taken my wallet.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “You wouldn’t happen to know where that went would you?”

Neo pulled a face and made a big show of thinking it over before perking up and producing his wallet from her pocket. Tossing it back to him she grinned as he sighed.

“Fine, where are we going?”

She bounced on the spot, thrilled. Roman was so fun when he did what she wanted. Exactly what she wanted.

…

Cinder hand her plan of course, blagh blagh infiltrate the Vytal Festival, blagh blagh exchange students, blagh blagh snooping. Whatever. As long as she got to screw with people she was fine with whatever reason Cinder had.

The disguise was boring though. Black uniform and black hair, ugh. She stole Romans eye colour for it though, the squeak he made when she showed him would be treasured forever.

But wasn’t treasured enough to change the fact that Cinder had made her dye her hair! No illusions, just sticky, smelly, doesn’t wash out hair dye.

Neo wanted to slit Cinder’s pretty little throat. But then she’d be out of a job. Getting paid got her more icecream than revenge would.

And for a school full of hunters and huntresses in training Beacon was really boring at- Neo checked her Scroll- 2am. There had to be something she could do that didn’t involve blowing her cover, but no everyone was all boring and asleep.

Someone bumped into her and Neo found herself looking up at Beacon’s dark and unimpressive ceiling. Rude! But she couldn’t kill students. Yet anyway.

“Oh my gosh I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to are you ok? I’m really sorry please be ok.” Said the girl in PJ’s. She cringed and held out a hand to pull Neo up. Neo took it with a grin.

When the girl looked like she would start talking again (and Roman was going to love that her soulmate talked enough for the both of them she just knew it) Neo held a finger to  
the girls lips, quickly tapping at her Scroll.

 _I’m fine I wasn’t looking where I was going. Also you’re my soulmate*~*~_ Neo held the scroll right in front of the girls face.

“Oh! Um, sorry I don’t think I am? Only I, ah, don’t have a soulmark? So it’s probably not me?” The girl bit her lip adorably and Neo wanted to eat her up, or lock her up somewhere no one else would ever see her…

Actually the two weren’t necessarily mutually exclusive.

 _Is this your hand writing then?_ Neo typed out, pulling the collar of her top down to show off the red words.

The girl was silent, eyes wide. “Yeah, that’s me.” She said. “But I don’t have?”

 _How about we pinch some ice cream from the kitchen and talk?_ Neo was not going this long without ice cream, screw Cinder.

“Ah, sure I guess? Won’t your team worry?” She asked and did Neo’s soulmate have to be this adorable? Really? Neo could practically hear Roman laughing at her.

Instead Neo shook her head, shrugged lightly, and gestured for the girl to lead the way.

The girl took Neo’s free hand to do it. Too. Cute.

Wait, this girl probably had a name.

Damn it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we have another one! Ruby/Neo and longer than I thought it would be. I’m sure Roman is thrilled about Neo’s soulmate. Feel free to request anything (or more of something)


	3. Ruby/Torchwick Not All Soulmates

_“Next time something this big comes up... you'll come to your teammates. And not someone else."_

What was she going to do? She’d been keeping a big secret… maybe not Ex-White Fang cat-faunus big but still really big! And if WBY found out they’d be so angry and Weiss would yell and Yang would yell and Blake would do that betrayed silence thing. There was no way she could tell anyone! But Yang already knew what it said and she could put it together. What if _he_ put it together? Could he put it together? What had she said to him? She should be able to remember that, right?

“Heavy thoughts?”

“Ahh! Pyrrha! You scared me!” Ruby smiled up at the older girl. “What are you doing up here?”

“I’m supposed to be meeting Jaune, but I think we might be giving training a miss today.” Pyrrha said, sitting next to Ruby and letting her legs hang over the edge of the roof. “You didn’t answer my question though.”

“Nurhh.” Ruby groaned, falling back to look at the night sky.

“That doesn’t sound good.” Pyrrha said lightly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t know.” Ruby moaned. “I just,” Ruby sighed. “Have you met your soulmate, Pyrrha?”

“Not yet.” She said. “I thought, well maybe Jaune but…” She trailed off and shook her head slightly. “Why did you want to know?”

“Because I did.” Ruby said monotone.

“I sense congratulations aren’t in order?” Pyrrha guessed.

“No.” Ruby pouted. “And I should tell people but then they’ll hate me and I don’t know what to do and it’s not my fault but they might think it is and I don’t know what to do and we all promised to tell each other big things and this is definitely a big thing and-“

“You don’t know what to do?” Pyrrha finished. Ruby nodded glumly. “And it has something to do with your soulmate?” She guessed.

 “He’s… he’s not a good person.” Ruby said eventually. “I’m fairly sure my team hates him, I think I hate him too? And I’ve known for a while? And I’m his soulmate so shouldn’t I be seeing some kind of inner goodness?” Ruby sighed. “This sucks.”

“Not everyone is compatible with their soulmate.” Pyrrha said slowly. “Some people meet them too soon, or the timing isn’t right, or any number of things. We don’t know how Aura decides soulmates, sometimes it’s wrong.” Pyrrha let Ruby think that over for a bit. “Do you want my advice?”

“Yes.” Ruby said softly.

“Tell your team.” Pyrrha said gently. “If something is worrying you this much your team should know. You don’t have to deal with things alone Ruby.”

“I was kinda hoping you’d say I could ignore it forever.” Ruby pouted.

“It’s always to tell someone these things, rather than have it come out.” Pyrrha shrugged. “I won’t force you, it’s just my advice.”

“Yeah, thanks Pyrrha.” Ruby managed a smile and it seemed to reassure the older girl a lot.

“Alright. Good night Ruby.”

“Night Pyrrha.”

Ruby sighed, looking up at the stars. One hand drifted to her lower stomach, where the problem was. She had been so excited to meet her soulmate and instead it was just causing problems.

Slowly, dragging her heals, toes, and everything else, Ruby walked through the corridors to her team room. Weiss’ words were echoing through her head still. Was she going to be sick? She felt sick. Maybe she should wait ‘till tomorrow to say anything? It was late and it had been a big day, they’d want their rest right?

Ruby paused outside the door. No, they should know. And she should tell them now before she lost her nerve and never told them. Imagine if he told them? That would be… Really, really bad.

With a deep breath Ruby opened the door. WBY were all in PJ’s, reading quietly or doing weapon maintenance. They all looked up when Ruby came in.

“Everything alight, sis?” Yang asked.

“Um, I kinda need to tell you all something? It’s really important. It’s, ah, well, I kinda meet my soulmate?” Ruby told her feet.

“Congratulations?” Blake asked.

“Sis, that’s awesome!” Yang asked grinning. “When did this happen? Do we know him?”

“Yeah, you know him.” Ruby giggled a little hysterically and could feel Yang’s look. “I met him before Beacon started, he’s kinda the reason I’m here?”

There was a pause. “OZPIN’S YOUR SOULMATE?” Yang shouted, before clamping a hand over her mouth. “Sorry” She added.

“No!” Ruby shouted before biting her lip. Another breath, _come on,_ _you can do this_ she told herself. “It’s Torchwick.”

“What?” Weiss shrieked. “You mean that _monster_ is your soulmate?” Ruby didn’t meet anyone’s eyes. Her knees were shaking.

“Sis, why didn’t you say anything?” Yang sounded hurt and Ruby flinched.

“Because he tried to kill me? Like my soulmark is what he said right before he shot me point blank? I kinda had other things to worry about! And apparently he’s evil and I don’t know there’s been a lot going on!”

“Does he know?” Blake asked, effectively silencing Weiss and Yang.

“I don’t think so?” Ruby pulled a face and shrunk into herself. “I don’t really remember what I said to him?”

“Ruby.” Yang groaned. “You dork.”

“I suppose it was nothing distinctive then?” Weiss asked.

“I think it was something like ‘You!’ or ‘Hey’?” Ruby gave a little shrug. “He was getting away.”

Her teammates groaned.

“That is… Probably for the best, actually.” Weiss decided.

“I don’t think you want more of his attention.” Blake agreed. “Where is your mark? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.”

“You wouldn’t have, I keep it kinda hidden. I mean, it’s covered most of the time anyway soo.” Ruby made a vague gesture. “Maybe if you walked in on me in the shower you’d see it?”

“How… intimate a location are we talking here?” Weiss asked.

“NOT LIKE THAT!” Ruby squeaked before tapping her hand over her mark. “I mean, I could show you?” Ruby considered her dress, pulled a face at the skirt, and reached around to undo the back zip. Stepping out of her dress she rolled down her tights a bit so the orange writing was visible.

‘Well, Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening. And as much as I'd love to stick around, I'm afraid this is where we part ways.’ Was neatly printed along her front, between her panty line and belly button, from one side to the other.

“What an ass.” Blake said.

“You’re telling me.” Ruby said, pulling her tights back up and searching the closet for her PJ’s.

“Have you told anyone?” Weiss asked.

“Are you kidding?” Ruby asked, tugging her top over her head. “I could barely tell you guys!”

“I hate to say it, but this might be the kind of thing you tell Professor Ozpin, if only so nothing bad happens?” Yang suggested. “I mean, when they catch him they’re going to look into his soulmate, and you’re handwriting’s on record at Beacon.”

“Can it wait?” Ruby begged. “I really really really don’t want to think about it now… or ever.”

“It’s been a long day.” Blake agreed. “I think we could all use a good sleep.”

When the lights were out Ruby watched the light play on the canopy of her bunk. She was exhausted, but her brain wouldn’t shut up and let her sleep.

“Hey Ruby?” Came the whisper from bellow her.

“Yeah?” Ruby whispered back.

“Thanks for telling us.” Weiss yawned. “Goodnight Ruby.”

“Night.” Ruby whispered, grinning. Team RWBY, sticking together!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set basically immediately after Black and White, I keep wanting to add to it but then it would never be finished, ever. Expect Coco/Velvet sometime this week.


	4. Coco/Velvet: A Shining Beacon

Velvet worries a lot. She's proud of being a Faunus, but it comes with… problems. The White Fang made things… hard for Faunus with more visible traits. Velvet can't hide her ears, wouldn't if she could but it's still hard. There are a few shops that won't serve her, a few more she doesn't go to because they 'accidentally' overcharge her.

There's her soulmark too. That worries her more than anything. Because people have expectations about their soulmates, and Velvet has rabbit ears. Rabbit Faunus are the butt of every cheap human wanna be comedian's jokes. Rabbit faunus are promiscuous, rabbit faunus will sleep with anyone who stands still long enough, rabbit faunus come with built in handles, rabbit faunus love anything long and pointy.

So Velvet is worried about the light brown writing that twists around her left wrist. She knows better than most that soulmates don't always work out.

Her aunt is all the warning she needs. Her aunt who's soulmate didn't like Faunus. Her aunt whose soulmate figured that writing meant she was his no matter what. Her aunt who's soulmate cut off her right ear before she could get away.

Velvet isn't going to get attached to the writing.

No matter how nice it would be for 'If anyone does anything, tell me' to be someone Velvet could rely on, she know's that's not always the case.

* * *

 

Velvet learns how to fight and how to run. She's fast, really fast, and pretends that people aren't saying it's because she's a rabbit.

She's not an animal. They probably don't mean it that way, but they still say it. Eventually Velvet will explain how wrong it is, what they're saying. But those conversations are draining and sometimes Velvet just want's someone else to explain it for once.

At least the White Fang accusations have stopped. Even if it took someone painting that awful symbol on her locker to do it.

Velvet wants to be a huntress. When asked she says she wants to undo some of the damage the White Fang have done, that seeing a Faunus risking her life to help people might change some minds.

Really it's because more and more places are restricting, if not outright denying, Faunus admittance. No matter the actions of the White Fang, or the public pressure, the hunting academies continue to allow Faunus in.

Velvet is going to pass those exams.

* * *

 

The email has been on her Scroll for three hours. From Goodwitch, G with the summery "RE: Your Beacon Academy Application" Velvet knows what she wants it to say.

She can't bring herself to open it. There's no plan B, only working in her mum's bakery in a town that's steadily becoming less and less accepting.

More than anything Velvet wants that message to be an acceptance.

She makes her mum open it anyway. Watching her face, her grey ears, her left foot that always twitches when she's hiding something.

Velvet's twitching too, fingers drumming on her knee, filled with a restless energy because she just wants to know and-

"Well," Mum says, looking up from the Scroll. "I suppose you had better start packing."

Velvet freezes, eyes wide and body tense, before she snatches the Scroll out of her mother's hand and reads through the message. Only one line sticks, only one line matters.

"…Pleased to inform you of your acceptance into Beacon Academy…"

Velvet reads it again to be sure, and then again after that. Mum is smiling at her, warm and proud.

"You know, they do want a response." Mum says, light and happy.

In the end mum has to accept for her, Velvet is shaking so much she can't type.

* * *

 

There aren't that many Faunus students at Beacon. Three others in her year, none of whom are in her initiation group.

A part of Velvet thinks that was planned, that even Beacon doesn't want too many Faunus together, but she really doesn't want to start thinking like this now.

Not when she's free falling anyway. Her combat outfit might be able to survive this fall without a scratch, but Velvet wouldn't. Unlike some of the others she can still see, her weapon isn't going to help much here.

So Velvet taps into her semblance and feels  _everything_. Each molecule of air, how it interacts with everything else, the aura of the other initiates, of the forest, the almost painful absence that is the Grimm.

Hands out by her sides Velvet pushes on the air, like it's something solid. She bounces, losing some speed and gaining less height. Again and again until she can land on a solid tree branch.

Taking a moment to be relieved that actually worked Velvet checked for Grimm and, finding none, shoves that awareness her semblance gives her into the back of her mind. It was useful for the warnings, but far too much for what she needs to do now.

No, she's finding her way without her semblance, without a partner if it comes to it.

* * *

 

Of course it's not that easy and Velvet ends up helping the samurai, who had been four platforms to her left, with the pack of beowolves that had descended on him.

"Hi, I'm Velvet." She says, as the last Grimm fades into fragments. She feels her ears twitch and hopes he isn't an awful person since they are apparently partners for the next four years.

"Yatsuhashi." He says. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." She says, still waiting for the other shoe to drop. "We should keep moving."

He nods, but she has a feeling it's more because he's quiet than because of her. She can work with that. Velvet gestures in the direction of the relics', the dust magic in them still tingles in the back of her head, and Yatsuhashi i nods.

He hasn't stabbed her yet; Velvet's going to take that as a good sign.

* * *

 

"Coco Adel, Fox Alistair, Velvet Scarlatina, and Yatsuhashi Daichi will form Team CFVY lead by Coco Adel." Ozpin announces and Velvet listens to the cheering crowd of fellow students and thinks maybe this won't be so bad.

Fox's white eyes suggest blindness, but his muscle and the set of his shoulders say that's not a hindrance. Velvet wants to ask about that, because compared to her eyesight humans seem half blind anyway, but she knows how annoying those kinds of questions are.

Coco is holding herself with the kind of self-assurance that Velvet's never had. Her little smile at Ozpin when she's announced as leader speaks volumes. Velvet's worried about her. Humans with that kind of confidence don't tend to see Faunus as people.

But the crowd's cheering and Velvet feels herself smiling anyway.

* * *

 

They're in their dorm when Coco finally speaks to her. Fox encouraged Yatsudashi away to help him count steps and "map out everything before it's filled with idiots." Velvet's fairly sure that's some kind of male bonding excuse, but they left before she could call them on it.

So it's just Velvet with Coco.

She's not worried, really, she isn't. It's just that this conversation is going to decide what the next four years of her life are like.

Coco's taken off her glasses, that feels important somehow.

"If anyone does anything, tell me." Coco says suddenly. Velvet feels like she's been doused in ice, can feel her ears twitch.

"I don't need your protection." Velvet manages, and Coco's eyes soften.

"Of course you don't." She agrees. "But I'm your team leader, and hopefully your soulmate, so I'd like to know about anyone who tries to hurt you."

"Did you tell Fox this too?" Velvet challenged, not wanting to just be the Faunus girl and-

"Of course I did, people suck, people are assholes. Someone is going to take your ears or his eyes as an invitation. As team leader I have a responsibility to this team, I'm not going to let some self-important bigot hurt my team, soulmate or not." Coco's voice says level and her gaze doesn't waver.

"Okay." Velvet says softly. Coco nods.

"Do you want to see your words?" Coco asks.

Velvet's rolling up her left sleeve before she remembers to say anything. Coco is grinning and rolling up her right sleeve.

Apparently they match, so Velvet starts smiling too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Velvet/Coco request is here! I wanted to do a few things with Velvet, because we only know her as a second year and she's nervous enough to 'let' CRDL pick on her. Plus her accent implies she's not hugely local, so small town girl it is. Her semblance is loosely based on air elemental magic from Skulduggery Pleasant which can give the user the ability to fly, eventually.
> 
> Initiation groups because I don't think 16 students/4 groups a year is a sustainable number for Beacon.
> 
> For the curious my current request list is as follows:
> 
> Jaune/Yang
> 
> Crow/Winter
> 
> Jaune/Blake
> 
> Blake/Yang
> 
> Blake/Sun


	5. Ruby/Weiss: Sudden Realisation

Weiss has 'ah, sorry' written on her shoulder. That had been fine, for eleven years. Everyone had a soulmate after, even if Weiss' age meant she was cooed over for it.

It stopped being fine after the first disappeared. Someone had burnt down one of fathers factories. He wasn't happy.

Then the ransom note came.

After that it wasn't safe for Weiss to show her soulmark. She took to wearing full sleeves, or bolero's when it was unavoidable.

It was not safe for them, whoever they were. Weiss was older; it was her responsibility to keep her soulmate safe.

Especially from those  _animals_  in the White Fang.

* * *

 

Weiss's mother was dead.

Mother was dead, and Winter was not home and Father was…

Father was angry. She could hear him stalking the halls at night.

Losing a soulmate was hard. Everyone knew that, it was basic knowledge.

Weiss had not understood how hard, however.

She wished she did not have to.

Mother…

* * *

 

Could her soulmate have chosen are more  _common_  phrase? 'Uh, sorry'? Oh, they would be sorry. Weiss would make sure of it.

Father was not happy about Weiss's choice of Beacon over the Atlas Academy. He was not happy that she was leaving the family lands. He shouted, and Weiss shredded practice dummies with Myrtenaster.

She still got him to sign the paperwork. Even the Schnee lawyers would be unable to void the contract.

She will certainly get into Beacon.

And be far away from… Never mind.

* * *

 

There was a  _child_  lying in her bags.

Weiss saw red. There was Dust in those bags! Expensive, valuable,  _volatile_  Dust! What was this girl thinking?

"What are you doing?" She shouted, leaning over the girl.

"Uh, sorry?" The girl said, sitting up a little and holding out  _one of Weiss's Dust cases_. The girl must be an idiot, there was no other explanation.

"Give me that!"

* * *

 

There was no way that girl was a student, no way. Not with that level of Dust safety ignorance. It was not possible.

There was no way that Weiss was going to be partnered with an immature brat for the next four years.

* * *

 

Ruby was the leader of Team RWBY.

Somehow Weiss had to explain this to Father. Had to explain how she, Weiss Schnee, had lost the leadership role to someone two years younger.

Weiss had been raised for a leadership role. She was expected to be a team leader, had been trained for it by some of the best hunters in vale. Weiss would be a far better leader than Ruby Rose could dream of being.

* * *

 

_Dear Father,_

_Beacon is quite different from Winter's descriptions of Atlas. I have been assigned to Team RWBY. My partner, Ruby Rose, is a prodigy who was granted admittance two years early…_

* * *

 

It was the first lesson of semester and Ruby was already living down to Weiss's expectations. She spent the lecture drawing pictures and  _picking her nose_  instead of taking notes.

This was who Ozpin selected as leader? There had to be a mistake.

* * *

 

Ruby had fallen asleep on her books. Weiss was expecting a comic book and there their leader was, actually taking things seriously.

Ruby's sleep top had rolled up and in neat, ice blue hand writing Weiss could read 'What are you d' before it was hidden under Ruby's top. Weiss stared at it, barely breathing.

That was her handwriting.

That was her colour.

The way Ruby wrote her 's' was the same as it was on Weiss' soulmark.

This could not be happening.

"Huh? Weiss?" Ruby blinked sleepily and confused before a look of panic set in. "Weiss! I was studying, and then I feel asleep. I'm sorry-"

"Stop." Weiss sighed. "You shouldn't sleep on your notes like that."

"I didn't mean to." Ruby whisper. Weiss had to close her eyes because that face made her feel like she'd just kicked a puppy.

"I know." How was she going to say this? "I know you had to skip some of the theory to come here this year, and I know that leaders have extra classes." Weiss paused to make sure Ruby was listening. "There's no point in burning yourself out on the first day. If you need help with anything, come to me. I am your partner; it is what I'm here for." Weiss started picking up Ruby's notes, careful to keep them in some kind of order. "And I am going to be the best partner you will ever have."

"Thanks, Weiss." Ruby said softly. "I won't let you down."

"I know you won't." Weiss said, stacking Ruby's notes on a bookshelf.

On her way out the door Weiss paused. "Hey Ruby?"

"Yeah?" The girl asked sleepily.

"I always wanted bunk beds as a kid." She admitted. "Get some sleep."

* * *

 

"Sooo, what about you Weiss?" Yang asked, snapping Weiss out of her study.

"What about me what?" She asked, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Sunday afternoons didn't have much in the way of activities and Weiss had been hoping to finish Oobleck's history assignment.

Apparently not.

"Have you met your soulmate?" Yang repeated from where she was lying on the floor.

"Yes, actually, I have." Weiss snapped before realising what she said. Oh Dust.

"Wait, really?" Yang asked, sitting up.

"You have a soul?" Black asked over the top of her book.

"Hey!" Weiss protested.

"Don't be mean Blake." Ruby said before turning her attention to Weiss. "Do we know them? What are they like? Are you close? How long have you kno-mmmf." Yang had slapped a hand over her sisters mouth.

"Yes you know them." Weiss abandoned her assignment to look at her team. "They go to Beacon, I met them when I arrived. We're… getting close, we started off on the wrong foot."

"Mmmmf mm mff." Ruby elbowed her sister in the side. "Why haven't you introduced us?" She asked once Yang removed her hand.

"Because they're you, you dolt!" Weiss froze, realised what she just said, and calmly stood and left the room. She could hear her teammates calling after her but Weiss kept walking.

Ruby was the one who found her, studying in one of the rooms in the library. The doors didn't lock but it was more dignified than a bathroom stall.

"Why didn't you tell me? Ruby asked. Weiss felt like she had kicked a puppy, again.

"You're fifteen, Ruby." Weiss said. "And the Schnee Dust Company has enemies that would go after you-"

"Nope." Ruby said, popping the p.

"I just wanted to keep you saf-"

"Nope." Ruby said again.

"I was scared, okay!" Weiss glared at Ruby, waiting for that infuriating 'nope'.

Instead Ruby hugged Weiss. The heiress stiffened in surprise and Ruby rested her chin on Weiss' shoulder.

"You know, I'm studying at one of the most advanced Hunting Academe's in Remnant, I use one of the most deadly weapons ever created, I can run really,  _really_  fast," Ruby leaned back a bit to meet Weiss' eyes. "And my partner is one of the most intelligent and talented people I've met. She can be kinda stupid though."

"Ruby-"

"She's stubborn and sometimes makes really bad decisions, but she's still pretty great." Ruby continued instead.

"You goof." Weiss complained, not even trying to fight her smile.

"Better?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah."

"Good, because someone promised my they'd be the best partner ever, and you should always keep a promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ruby has a system for dealing with people's problems. Weiss' bad childhood is made worse by soulmates and not better. Blake exists just to say that line.


	6. Blake/Zwei: Wait, What?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added an Omake in the end notes because this wasn't being as funny as I wanted it to be.

Not getting a soulmark was a benefit in the White Fang. Not having that, well mostly instant, connection with someone meant that you weren't compromised. Blake, without any words scrawled on her skin, was an oddity among outcasts.

Percentage wise, there were more markless Faunus than humans. After all, the humans needed to justify their hatred somehow, and Faunus were soulless.

Practically Grimm.

* * *

Blake never got a soulmark. It didn't bother her.

Then the train happened. Adam in his Grimm mask acting like the soulless creature he claimed to be.

Apparently you don't need a soulmark to have a soul.

* * *

Blake likes book about souls. Not really soulmarks, she still doesn't have one isn't really sure what she'd do with one.

Books are nice, they're fictional, they're quiet.

She'd never realised how loud humans were until she was living with them.

* * *

Blake woke up they day before mission selection with a paw print on her arm. It wouldn't go away, no matter how much she scrubbed at it, but it could be hidden by Gambol Shroud's ribbons.

She could deal with it later; it wasn't doing anything to her. It was probably just a prank.

That no one else mentioned.

But it was fine, definitely fine.

* * *

Ruby had a dog.

No, Ruby had a mail tube that somehow produced a dog.

What had they been feeding that thing? Pure dust?

And why was it here?

Blake did not want a dog here, Blake was perfectly happy without a dog here. Can the dog not be here please.

The dog – Zwei - noticed it hadn't greeted her and came over (Oh Dust).

It's tail was wagging, looking up at her with big eyes (Oh Dust).

Slowly, aware of her Team's eyes on her, Blake extended her hand to the dog.

It sniffed, wagged its tail, barked, and put a paw on her wrist.

Where the paw print was.

The paw print that didn't budge or fade even slightly.

The paw print that appeared overnight.

That wasn't possible, right? This was a  _dog_. A dog that could survive being stuck in a mail tube for unknown periods of time, but still just a dog.

Blake patted the do- Zwei on the head.

"Nice doggie?" She asked, getting a tail wag for her efforts.

It was fine, she could cope with this.

* * *

It was not fine.

Ruby had taken Zwei on their mission, and Oobleck had let her.

Blake had been sure that, since Zwei would not be coming on their Operation Track Down Torchwick And The White Fang To Save Vale, she could just push it out of her head.

But now her team leaders dog, who might be Blake's soulmate, was coming with them. Would be with them as a part of the team.

Nope.

Maybe Blake could call in sick?

* * *

"You've been staring at Zwei, a lot." Yang said between waves of Grimm.

"I'm not really a dog person." Blake excused.

"Yeah, you're really a cat person." Yang grinned at Blake. "Eh? Eh?"

Blake groaned.

"No, but really, if you aren't comfortable with Zwei around I can get Ruby to keep him with her." Yang offered. "You've only just started to sleep again."

"I'm fine." Blake brushed off. "But really, what did you do to that dog."

Yang suddenly looked very shifty. "Whatever do you mean, partner?"

"There is something not right about that dog Yang." Blake said. "What did you do?"

"It was mostly Ruby!" Yang protested. "I just... Helped."

"Helped with what?" Blake asked, flat.

"Some basic aura transference exercises?" Yang stretched out each word. "Maybe?"

"You gave your dog an aura? Why?"  _what possible reason could there be to-_

"Ehh…" Yang shrugged. "I mean, it seemed like a good idea at the time?"

"I despair for you." Blake said. "Also, I think Ruby found something."

"Huh? Oh! RUBY!" Yang yelled after her sister.

A block up, where Ruby was fighting an entire beowolf pack, Blake heard an echoing "Woop!" and Crescent Rose's gunfire.

Ugh.

* * *

From the Beacon airfield you couldn't really see the damage. A couple of buildings had damage from falling Nevermores (that Coco denied any involvement in) but that was really the extent of it.

Blake was ready to nap for a week. Longer, maybe.

Zwei had his head on her lap. Blake was too tired to complain, or worry, or anything.

Torchwick was captured. She hadn't killed him.

Everyone she cared about was alive.

* * *

Blake didn't remember going to the dorm, or getting ready for bed, or falling asleep. She had a headache from too much sleep, her mouth was dry. It wasn't a pleasant wake up

It didn't seem like anyone else was up. Yangs snores were still above her, Weiss and Ruby made some kind of Chu-Whaa Chu-Whaa rhythm together.

There were puppy snores coming from Zwie.

Forcing her eyes open Blake saw her wrist.

There was no paw print.

Blake looked over at the sleeping Zwei.

_Oh thank Dust._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blake had vanished at some time early in the morning. Yang wasn't worried, really. Blake was better about sleeping in her bed, and keeping to normal person hours. So she was probably fine.
> 
> No, the worry started when Blake came back.
> 
> Blake had clearly been at a pet store, which was impressive since there weren't' supposed to be any flights to Vale for another hour or so. Which meant she had to have, what, run?
> 
> With armfuls of dog treats? At 7:30am on a Sunday?
> 
> Zwei was very interested in everything Blake had, which wasn't surprising, dad had probably forgotten where the treats where again.
> 
> Still, Yang was fairly sure she should be concerned and Blake offered more and more treats to Zwei.
> 
> But she looked really happy whenever he accepted something. Had Blake even had a pet growing up?
> 
> "Blake, are you okay?" Yang finally asked, as the pile of treats didn't seem to be getting any smaller.
> 
> "I need him to like me." Blake said, a feral look in her eye. "He likes the treats."
> 
> "Why? Blake what's going on?" Yang asked slowly. "Are you feeling okay?"
> 
> Instead of answering her partner scrabbled at the ribbon of Gambol Shroud, pulling it away to revel…
> 
> A blank wrist.
> 
> This was apparently what neither of them were expecting.
> 
> Blake looked between her wrist and Zwei, dropped the remaining treats (much to Zwei's joy) and left the room.
> 
> "Blake?" Yang called after her.
> 
> "Good bye friend, I am gone. I am out. See you when that dog is gone-" Blake might have kept talking, Yang couldn't hear.
> 
> Zwei was looking very happy in a pile of treats; neither her sister nor Weiss were up.
> 
> "What?" Yang asked Zwei.
> 
> The battle corgi wagged his tail and drooled.
> 
> "You're no help." Yang told him, before leaving to get dressed.
> 
> Somehow she knew it was going to be a looong day.


	7. Jaune/Yang: A Good Idea (at the time)

Jaune ducked his opponents blow and felt the heat of it pass over him. She laughed, a touch manically, but he wasn't in the place to comment. Having missed him his opponent started moving a bit faster, a bit harder, and Jaune started fearing for his life. Just a little.

"Pyrrha?" He called, ducking again and jumping back from the following blow.

"You're doing great Jaune!" his partner called from the sidelines. "Remember to keep your shield up!"

Unfortunately the warning came too late. Lifting his drooping shield Jaune couldn't get it up in time to block the blow. Dazed he couldn't avoid the punch to the stomach that launched him back several feet. Fighting the urge to be sick Jaune groaned, hoping to win some sympathy from the girls he was with.

"Oh come on ya big baby," Yang said, leaning over him and offering a hand to help him up. He knew better than to trust it by now however. "I didn't hit you that hard."

"Breath... failing... I see a light... good bye cruel world..." Jaune managed between wheezes.

"Jaune." Pyrrha warned.

"I'm up. Kind of." He added as the world shifted colour in response to his movement.

"Should have kept your shield up." Yang was not sympathetic to her soulmate's plight.

"That is what it's there for." Pyrrha added. "It won't do any good around you knees."

Jaune moaned something both girls took for agreement. It wasn't really, but only because the ringing in his ears still hadn't been fixed by his aura.

"Maybe I did hit him too hard." Yang said to Pyrrha.

"He's fine, right Jaune? Jaune? "

With a gurgle Jaune rolled over and puked.

(On his soulmates shoes. )

(It wouldn't be the first time.)

"Oh come on." Yang protested. "I just got these!"

"I'll take you shoe shopping this weekend?" Jaune offered. The fear for his life started when his soulmates eyes flashed red for a moment.

"Damn right you will." She agreed.

* * *

No one wants a soulmark that says 'hi' or 'nice to meet you' because it's almost impossible to tell who your soulmate actually is. Jaune really wished his words were something boring like that. Something that got aunts and grandparents tut'ing but was ultimately short and sweet.

Or, at the very least, in a more easily hidden location. High collar shirts were not cosy and the yellow words that were written where his neck met his collar bone were less than inconspicuous. There were stories of marks changing location but they were always heroics.

Like granddad. Who lost a leg in the war, the leg that had his words in Nana's old fashion, impossible to read, cursive. He said it was the worst part, that he'd have coped with anything other than losing his words. Then, one day, they were back. He'd been recovering in hospital, war winding down and tensions high, when they showed up. The same words, same handwriting, but now written above his heart.

(Jaune was first told this story at family Christmas by a very drunk granddad when he was four. Over time many details have changed, but this is always the version that stuck with him.)

Unlike granddad, there don't seem to be any heroic acts in Jaune's future. Not with his grades anyway. Jaune suspects that 'oh, you're vomit boy' isn't going to hide away anytime soon.

Why couldn't his soulmate have said something normal?

* * *

"Jaune, what time is it?" Yang asked, voice honey sweet. In hindsight, that should have been his first warning.

"Seven twenty, Soulfire." Jaune said with a grin.

"And what exactly do you think you're doing here, at seven twenty AM, with that?" Yang pointed at the guitar.

"I-" Jaune's fingers had moved to the stings and in an instant his soulmate was literally on fire, scorching the wood where she griped the guitar.

"No. Turn around, go back to your dorm." Yang's voice was suddenly very threatening. "Or I'll shove that guitar so far up your ass you'll be farting Deep Purple."

"Yes sir Soulfire." Jaune managed, backing away from his glowing soulmate. "I'll just let you catch up on your beauty sleep. Not that you need it! Because-" The door was closed in his face.

Team JNPR's room was its usual hive of morning activity. Nora didn't know the meaning of 'sleeping in' and JPR had been forced to adapt. Jaune was a bit jealous of Ren, he'd managed to perfect the 'uh' and 'nuh' noises that had Nora leave him alone… kind of. Ninja's got all the luck.

* * *

The transcripts thing happened. It wasn't even a conscious decision (Jaune would claim, talking to the two most important women in his life), just something spur of the moment.

The teacher had left themself logged in. It was easy, really, to swap some C's for A's, change the wording of the comments.

Everything he'd ever wanted, the chance to be a hero, right there.

It's how all the best stories started.

* * *

"Hey, Yang right? Ruby's sister?" Jaune asked the, frankly stunning, girl.

She looked up, surprised at something, and squinted at Jaune like she remembered him. He had a bad feeling.

"Oh, you're vomit boy." She said, lavender eyes lighting up with recognition, then turning red.

"Yeah, haha, that's me." Jaune said, trying to smile. She did not look impressed. "You can call me Jaune though."

"I'm gonna call your dead until you pay me back for the shoes you ruined." Yang growled, and wow yeah she was literally glowing with rage.

Wait, what had she called him? Vomit boy?

"You're my soulmate?" He asked, making an effort not to look at her chest. It was hard okay? He was a seventeen year old male. She was…

Yeah he should probably stop that there.

His eyes glanced down anyway, just for half a second!

She was not happy. Run and live, the best plan!

* * *

Pyrrha knocked Jaune's sword aside, stepped inside his guard and hooked a leg around his knee. Jaune managed to twist with her, to a point. The point where they both fell onto the roof, Jaune laying over Pyrrha, both breathy heavily.

"Is this something I'm not supposed to see?" Yang asked causing Jaune to shoot up and roll off Pyrrha.

"It's not what it looks like!" Jaune blurted.

"Really?" Yang asked. "Because it looks like you just got your ass handed to you by Pyrrha Nikos and didn't invite me."

"Uhhh?"

"I invited her." Pyrrha said. "It would be good for you to practice with someone with martial arts experience, and as your soulmate she should be involved."

"Uhhh?" Jaune repeated, catching the look in Yang's eye.

"This is going to be so. Much. Fun." Yang grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire short was driven by the idea of Yang and Pyrrha teaming up to beat Jaune into shape.
> 
> Qrow/Winter should show up tomorrow, and I have a question (since the request was on anon) do people want A Brawl in the Family to be the first time Qrow and Winter meet? yes/no and maybe a reason if you have one. I've got idea's for both. (or, request the paring again and get both~~)
> 
> Also, since this might end up relevant soon, I promise not to post anything with spoilers until after the episode is live for non-sponsors


	8. Qrow/Winter: Bad Decisions

Qrow's soulmark was the reason for his first drink, and the second, and the third. He was seven but knew where his parents kept the alcohol because, despite appearances, he was not an idiot. He had a plan too, no matter what Raven thought when she found out.

It seemed simple enough, the sooner he was drunk the more chances he'd have to meet his soulmate. No one else seemed to think it was a good idea. Which was why he hadn't asked them, obviously.

Qrow wasn't ever going to say they were right.

The first taste of alcohol is disgusting. It burns his mouth despite being room temperature then fills his mouth with pins and needles. He manages two more mouthfuls before he throws up.

That's where dad found him, puking into the petunias.

* * *

No one in Winter's family liked her soulmark. The placement seemed to be the major issue since the sloppy and nigh impossible to read words were scrawled across the small of her back.

Yes, her soulmark was a tramp stamp. That had been an interesting discovery. One that lead her here, sneaking out of the house to Olives unofficial Sweet Sixteenth.

"Woo Winter, you're here! Have a shot!" A plastic shot glass filled with something very green was held out by a very drunk Olive.

Winter downed it and grinned viciously. "Happy birthday Olive!" She shouted over the music.

"Yeahhhhahaha! Dance with me!"

* * *

Qrow got drunk for the first time on a mix of 50/50 vodka and orange juice. The guy he's with… what's his face, with the hair, said it didn't count as a screwdriver anymore "but it'll still screw you up, aye!"

It tasted like shit but he wasn't going to tell anyone here that.

"Man you're drunk!" Shouted one of the other guys.

"I know! It's awesome!" Shouted yet another.

The party was filled with the graduating class, the year before them and anyone else in the area. Like Qrow, who never passed up a party if he could help it.

* * *

"Are you going to try an explain this?" Father's voice was cold. "You are supposed to be a role model, to Weiss and to the world." He dropped his Scroll onto the desk, opening the photos on it. "So what exactly possessed you to do this?"

The photos were all Scroll photos from Olive's party. They weren't pretty, and the blue light of the desk was really not helping the hangover.

Actually, they filled in some of the blanks from the other night. Like where her shirt had gone, with the photo of her and Olive dressing a potted plant. There were others, some with Winter fully clothed, most with her half naked. A lot featuring her soulmark.

'so, you're the Ice Queen' in dusty grey on the small of her back. Although in some photo's it was accompanied by Olives attempt at writing her name while drunk.

"I don't see what the problem is father." Winter said, looking up from the photos. "It's hardly a sex tape."

If anything her father got colder at that. "It's hardly actions befitting of a Schnee. I let this carry on far too long. I had hoped you would see the error of your ways."

"What are you talking about? It was just a party." Winter scoffed. "I didn't kill anyone."

"Except the Schnee reputation." He retorted. Winter decided against mentioning that was already in tatters from his treatment of Faunus.

"What are you going to do, ground me?"

"I think we've moved beyond that, don't you agree?" He shook his head. "No, apparently there is no amount of training that can instil the discipline required from you. I have enrolled you into the Atlas Academy. When your training there is done we can discuss your options."

"You've got to be joking." Winter said. "You can't do this!"

"I can, and I have. Pack your things, you leave on Tuesday."

Winter didn't slam the door when she left, but it was close.

* * *

"He was drunk!" Shouted the leader of RYAL.

"He's always drunk." Said Summer, calmly. "I don't see what your problem is."

"I could have killed him!"

Summer started laughing. So did Raven. It wasn't intentional, it really wasn't.

"I'd love to see you try." Raven grinned. "He's mean when he's hungover, give it a bit. Should be fun."

"Stop encouraging him." Summer scolded, before turning to the boy. "Look, Qrow is probably the best scythe wielder of our generation, if you thought you came close, you're wrong."

"I heard-" The kid started again.

"Now I know you're stupid." Raven rolled her eyes. "You don't hear anything Qrow doesn't want you to, drove our parents batty. Now go play with your toys."

"You really didn't help." Summer told her as the boy stormed off.

"Yeah, but you left Tai and I with a drunk Qrow so who screwed up more?" Raven laughed and let Summers punch land.

"I hate you all, I'm going to be the first team leader to murder their entire team. And it will be so very worth it." Summer shook her head under her hood. "What is it with students thinking they can beat us?"

"Don't know but-" Raven paused as Summer's Scroll beeped.

"Find a way to sober Qrow up." Summer sighed. "We've got a mission."

"Ohh, is it fun?"

"Make sure he looks pretty." Summer said instead.

* * *

Winter had spent four years at Atlas Academy and wasn't the same person she had been. That Winter would never have continued in the military after graduation. That Winter would have crawled home resentful and kept living of fathers money.

Winter worked hard to get where she was now, a specialist. And it wasn't her last name that got her the job.

The downside of the job was making appearances at events designed to make sure everyone knew everyone's dangerous people. With an open bar and hor 'dourves, of course. Can't be seen as uncivilised.

Vale had sent Team STRQ, which was an interesting choice. They had an impressive reputation to be sure, they just weren't the most formally appropriate of teams.

"Winter, meet Qrow Branwen. Qrow this is Winter Schnee. Be nice " Summer Rose declared before speeding away. It wasn't clear who that last bit was directed at. But the legendary Qrow smelt like he'd been swimming whiskey.

"So, you're the Ice Queen." He said, looking her up and down with something like contempt.

"And you're drunk so we're both disappointed." Winter didn't growl, but it was close.

"Wait, you're her?"

Suddenly Winter really wanted a drink.

* * *

Qrow was waiting for the ship, the opportunity to watch his niece's and their team kick ass was just a bonus. Even if he was going to make Ruby do drills 'til she cried. It'd be good for her.

Waiting for Winter's ship. He was an asshole, but she should know he was alive. Might as well give her a reason to try and kill him this time.

She had a guard of androids, that was hilarious. It was practically his duty to decapitate them.

* * *

"Hey! Yeah, I'm talking to you, Ice Queen!"

Winter turned and yes, that was Qrow. Extremely drunk and still alive. For now anyway, she was going to kill him.

"Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" Weiss demanded. Winter would have to work on that, because really, of course Qrow was calling her that.

"You, saw that gaudy ship of yours in town. I guess you're here, too." He wasn't happy with her apparently. How sad for him.

"I'm standing right before you." And before he said anything else to make a scene. "You do understand you just destroyed Atlas Military property." He probably did, he wasn't a dumb drunk just a stupid one.

"Oh, oh I'm sorry." He looked at the damage with sarcastic wide eyes. "See, I mistook this for some sort of... sentient garbage."

"I don't have time for your games, Qrow." Winter growled.

"You too know each other?" Weiss asked.

Qrow ignored her and kept talking. Winter wanted to shut him up, permanently. He knew how to push all her buttons, unfortunately knowing that wasn't helping.

"Listen to big sister, Weiss. She'll protect you. Just like Atlas is going to protect all of us, huh?" Qrow taunted.

Winter snapped.

"If you don't hold your tongue, then I will gladly remove it for you!" She told him, drawing her sword. If he was so determined to fight then fine, he could have one.

"Alright then, come take it." Qrow was cocky, which meant he was planning something.

Something like pandering to the crowd that had gathered.

"You're an asshole." She growled at him between blows.

"Thought you wanted me to come back alive." He grinned.

"I never want to see you again." She twisted away, aiming a blow for his side.

"That hurts." He said, sounding a lot less drunk than he had.

Of course General Ironwood broke up the fight, which was embarrassing. Worse was being walked off like a child.

"I know that you're relationship with your soulmate is… somewhat unconventional," The General said as they walked. "But making a scene like that isn't appropriate."

"Yes sir." She answered.

"Try not to let him under your skin." He added. Winter couldn't quite catch the laugh before it happened. "Any more than he already is." He added, smiling slightly.

* * *

"He's nothing but a drunk with some luck on his side." The new recruit said. "I could have taken him easy. Drunk, bird brained idiot shouldn't be allowed-"

"I would watch what you say next, " Winter warned, hand resting on her blade lightly. "unless you're goal is to be discharged before you finish training."

"No Ma'am." The kid said.

* * *

"Fucking Ice Bitch." One of the Atlas military men started. "Like she'd be anywhere if her name wasn't on all the dust. Or m-" The man stopped talking.

Qrow had his scythe, in sword form, at man's throat. "If you ever suggest something like that again, you'll find out fist hand exactly how dangerous I am. Clear?"

"Very, sir." The man managed.

"Good, now go before I use you as a training exercise." Qrow grinned and watched the man run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this was meant to go up yesterday but life happened. Credit to AndyH from ff.net for young!Winter inspiration. I really see these two as the one who will be at each others throats but the instant someone else says anything that person is ruined.
> 
> I'm still accepting requests and you can ask for the same paring again.
> 
> Next lot of fills are kinda Blake heavy:
> 
> Jaune x Blake  
> Blake/Yang  
> BlakexSun  
> Ruby/ Yang  
> Blake/Weiss  
> Ruby/ Winter


	9. Jaune/Blake: Secrets

Blake didn't need her soulmark, she had Adam. They didn't need soulmarks, they were a team, they were partners. He'd saved her life and she'd saved his more times than either cared to count. What could a soulmate offer that he didn't?

Which was why she ignored the yellow around her right ankle. She didn't want it. Adam had been so good to her, why it wasn't his words on her she didn't know.

"Remnant to Blake."

"Mmm?" Speak of the devil.

"Come on, we're off."

"Ok." Blake smiled and checked Gambol Shroud's placement.

* * *

If she had his words, would she have been able to leave? Would she have killed those people if he was her soulmate? What made them different? They worked for the Schnee's they weren't innocent!

But she'd sliced through the carriages. Adam had vanished into the distance.

There were no words to keep them together. She couldn't go back.

She couldn't stay on the train either.

Blake leapt off the carriage, ducking and rolling into the Forever Fall forest. Aura took the brunt of the fall but the impact still winded her. Lying in the leaves trying to catch her breath, Blake started to cry.

She didn't have anyone.

Again.

Damn it.

* * *

There are two ways to get into Beacon Academy. The first involved graduating from Signal or a similar school. Blake, having been a member of the White Fang for most of her life, did not have this qualification. The second method involved a lot of paperwork, and tests, and paperwork, and tests, and background checks, and tests.

Blake went for the second option. After all, the White Fang had been good about keeping members names quite.

* * *

Please write in BLOCK LETTERS.

Name: BLAKE BELLADONNA

Species: HUMAN

* * *

In the White Fang the only reason to hide your Faunus features had been to keep anonymity. It was harder to identify a Faunus when you don't know if they had ears, a tail, horns, tusks, claws, or anything else.

Blake starts by wearing a headband. The idea had been that it would look like a cat ear headband. She hadn't counted on how much her ears twitched. In the noise of human cities sensitive hearing was hell.

It took a few tries, but eventually she was able to tie a bow around her ears. It itched like crazy whenever she moved, but now it just looked like a bow twitching.

A lifetime member of the White Fang walking through streets unnoticed, all thanks to a little black bow.

* * *

The Schnee heiress was shouting at some poor kid in red. Blake wasn't really sure what she'd expected form the girl, but she had succeeded in living down to expectations.

The girl in red looked terrified. Blake should just go, shouldn't make a scene, shouldn't draw attention to herself.

The dust vial clacked against her foot. The Schnee logo sparkled up at her.

"It's heiress, actually."

* * *

Blake had meet both Headmaster Ozpin and Professor Goodwich previously. It was a part of the application process to have interviews with them. From the way most people in the room were reacting, it wasn't usual if you were a recent graduate.

The knowledge that the entire class would be sleeping together sunk into Blake. She couldn't take her bow off tonight, couldn't take it off anywhere ever again.

She was Blake the human now.

* * *

Blake knew her soulmark by heart, even if she didn't want to. She couldn't react to whoever said it, couldn't risk it.

She mastered the 'go away or die' look before arriving at Beacon. The various people who wanted to talk to the pretty reading girl quickly thought better of it. Her soulmate would be no different.

So when the blond guy in the onesie paused by her on the way to his sleeping bag, Blake was ready.

"Hey digging the mysterious vibe, whatcha reading? " He asked brightly. He was smiling and obviously trying to keep his gaze away from her legs. Points for effort, maybe.

Rather than saying anything Blake glared at him over the top of her book. He flinched.

"Right." He said after a significantly long silence. "I'll let you get back to your book."

Blake didn't say anything, just watched him walk away. So, that was her soulmate. Her human soulmate, unless he was hiding a tail in that onesie of his.

How long could she go without speaking to him? Hopefully they wouldn't be on the same team.

… Wait, did that onesie have feet?

* * *

"I believe you two may know each other?" The… busty blond called, making her way over with… was that?

"Aren't you the girl that exploded?" Blake asked.

As the girl stumbled over her introduction Blake reassessed her opinion of the girl. When the Schnee had been shouting at her Blake had honestly thought this was someone seeing off their older sibling. If this girl was a student, and the Blonde's younger sister, then she had to be good. Really good.

But also still talking. While she was obviously trying to read.

Maybe Blake should have got a job at a bookshop and spent all her time away from people.

When Ruby turned out the lights at the same time Blake blew out her candles the sudden darkness snapped Schnee and Yang apart.

Schnee tripped over three people on her way back to whatever hell she slept in. Blake had never been happier for her night vision.

* * *

Blake was very careful not to speak to Jaune. It was going well, if a Nevermore and Death Stalker converging on them could be considered 'well'. She kept with Yang, who was sticking with Ruby and Schnee and away from Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Pyrrha Nikos.

Dramatic was a word for it. Ruby posing at the top of the cliff while the Nevermore dissolved around her was impressive, although not totally appropriate.

"Well, that was a thing." Yang was grinning and Blake had to smile. The adrenalin rush was getting to her too.

"How are we going to get her down?" Blake asked, eyeing the cliff.

"I think it's more about getting us up." Schnee said. "We do need to return to the starting point."

"I'll get that lot," Yang gestured over to the Death Stalker group. "You two come up with a plan." Without giving either a chance to protest Yang walked off, reloading her gauntlets as she did. That was a point, how many Grimm had they drawn to the aria with their fight?

"Can you use your Glyphs for everyone?" Blake asked. "Like with R-"

"No, not everyone and not all the way. Your graphing guns, how high can they reach?" Schnee frowned at the rock.

"Maybe half way?" Blake shrugged, it was a large cliff.

"Tensile strength?" The heiress asked.

"They're dust enhanced and aura conducting." Blake said dryly.

"I didn't know we sold dust enhanced ribbon." Schnee mused.

"You don't. Three people is the most I'd be comfortable with." Blake shook her head. "I don't want anyone to drop from that-"

"HELLLOOOOO!"

Blake and Schnee both turned to see the pink haired girl, Nora, leading the charge.

"Hey girls, I've brought the cavalry." Yang called from behind. She was walking to the left of the group- oh.

Jaune was supporting Ren, who looked very pale. Pyrrha was behind them, gun at the ready.

"Is he okay?" Blake asked Nora.

"He got thrown by the Death Stalker and it looked AWESOME but he's got a bit of a concussion." Nora looked over at her partner. "He should be fine in a bit."

"Right, so how are we getting up?" Jaune asked. "I really don't want to be here at night."

Collectively the group looked the sun.

"That would be bad." Blake agreed, ignoring the way his eyes snapped to her.

"Let's get started then." Schnee said, setting into a stance. "Blake, get ready to jump."

"Right."

* * *

Despite being on different teams Blake couldn't avoid Jaune. Part was due to his and Ruby's friendship, Teams JNPR and RWBY were together more often than not.

But, Blake wanted to know about him. She'd spent so long trying to ignore the soulmark she had no idea what to do with it now.

Which was why she was stalking Jaune.

Well, not really stalking, just following him at a distance where she could hear everything he said to Pyrrha… Okay, she was stalking him. Just a little!

Which lead to her being a booth down in the café the partners had visited. One that had fair wages for its Faunus staff.

"So what did you want to talk to me about, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked once the waitress had delivered their drinks.

"Have you met your soulmate?" Jaune asked.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" He asked, a touch too loud.

"My soulmark says 'oh my gosh, you're Pyrrha Nikos' and a lot of people say that to me." Pyrrha paused and Blake wished Faunus heritage came with the ability to see through walls. "Why are you asking? Have you met yours?"

"I think so?" Jaune sighed. "I don't know. She hasn't said anything."

Blake suddenly felt very guilty.

* * *

"Blake you wanted to-" Jaune paused, looking around the empty room in confusion.

"Apologise." Blake finished. "We're soulmates. Or we should be, anyway. I'm sorry, I should have-" Blake stopped as Jaune held up a hand.

"Does this have anything to do with you being a Faunus? Something that I definitely don't know about-" Jaune started to backpedal furiously.

"You knew?" She asked.

"We, JNPR that is, were worried about you. Ruby kinda split the whole story." He pulled a guilty face. "Well, most of it I guess."

"Oh." Blake wasn't sure what she wanted to say to that.

"I'm still not sure why you didn't say anything? I mean, I probably didn't make the best impression that first night but.." He trailed off.

"No, it's. Before when I was… Before Beacon I had a partner. We were close, but…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I had to change a bunch of classes for next semester and blurgh. Also I started playing Grimm Eclipse and that sucked up my life for a bit... I was playing Blake though, so it was character study, really.


	10. Blake/Yang: Traditional

"Sooooo what's everyone doing for Christmas?" Ruby asked, half hanging off the edge of her bed. Yang would be worried, but Weiss was directly under her to break her fall. Intentionally or not.

"You know what I'm doing." Yang scoffed. "Patch family Christmas."

"Oh Yeah!" Ruby called doing a fist bump that wobbled her precariously. "I can't wait to see everyone again."

"I will be returning to Atlas." Weiss said. "Winter will be home. It will be nice to see her again."

"What about you Blake?" Yang asked, looking over at her soulmate turned partner.

"I was just going to stay on campus." Blake shrugged.

The dorm froze. All eyes fell on Blake, who suddenly looked very uncomfortable. There was a moment of absolute silence.

That was inevitably broken by Ruby falling off her bunk, landing directly on Weiss. As the squabble started up Yang rolled over and stole her soulmates book. Keeping her finger between the pages because she didn't want to die.

"Are you really staying here for Christmas?" Yang asked.

"I don't exactly have anywhere else to go." Blake shrugged.

"You could stay with us." Yang offered, ducking a pillow that escaped the RW spat.

Blake made that noise that sounded like 'go away and die' but actually meant 'please be serious I want that more than anything'. Yang was pretty good at sorting those sounds out by now, and Blake tended to forget that.

"Blake." Yang waited until the other girl actually met her eyes. "Do you want to spend Christmas with Ruby and I and our family, on Patch?"

Blake looks down, looks up, looks left, and finally meets Yang's eyes.

"Yes."

"Wooohooo." Ruby shattered any moment Yang could have made by leaping across the room and wrapping around Blake like a bright red koala. "You're gonna love it so much I know you will!"

"Are you going to do anything about that?" Weiss asked as Ruby babbled on a bit more about the limited sights Patch had to offer.

"I don't know, it is nice not to be on the receiving end of that for once." Yang grinned even as Blake's eyes screamed 'help me'.

* * *

"Ahhhh! DAD!" Ruby vanished in a shower of rose petals and full body tackled their dad.

"I might be regretting my decision." Blake muttered, eyeing the scene. Yang grinned widely.

"Too late now."

"Is my other daughter shunning me already?" Dan called, having wriggled out of Ruby's grasp.

"Of course!" Yang hugged her dad, feeling her bones creak. With a final squeeze he let her go. It was good to be home.

"And you must be Blake." One arm still wrapped around her dad ginned at Blake's sudden deer in the headlights look.

"Yes sir?"

"Glad you could make it. My girls haven't been giving you too much trouble have they?" Dad grinned. "When I found out they were on a team together I was going to send a care package… Still could, if you'd like."

"Will it contain tranquilisers?" Blake asked.

"Enough to take out an Ursa Major." Dad promised, ignoring Ruby's very vocal protests. "Come on, we should probably stop causing a scene."

"It's not possible." Yang stage whispered. "Xiao Long genes."

"My ears are burning!" Dad called as he shepherded Ruby toward the car. "Keep up or you're walking home."

"Hello Zwei, my pretty puppy hello did you miss me I missed you hello oh yes you're so cute yes you are." Ruby was fawning over her the corgi in a way that involved rolling across the lawn.

"Ruby leave Zwei alone."

"Yangs just jealous you love me more, yes she is, yes she is."

"You're in luck, girls. You're in time to decorate the tree." Tai said, opening the door.

Ruby froze, and Yang stopped so suddenly that Blake walked right into her.

"Really?" Yang asked, a hint of breathy panic in her voice. "That's, that's great Dad but I should really show Blake around Patch so you and Ruby can just get started without us. Right Blake?" Yang added, franticly gesturing behind her back.

"Ehh? Yes?" Blake agreed. "I don't want to intrude."

"Oh, you won't be." Tai sounded ominous and Ruby shuddered. "Pass me your things girls, go get started."

"I'm sorry Blake." Yang muttered as Tai left. "I would never have suggested this if I thought this would happen."

"It's going to be okay, Blake." Ruby added with forced cheer. "I promise."

"What are you talking about? It's just a… tree…" Blake trailed off as she saw the monstrosity in the living room. "Oh Dust."

The tree was at least eight feet tall and scraping the ceiling. At the base it would be wider than she, Yang, and Ruby combined could reach. Surrounding it were boxes and boxes of lights and decorations and baubles in red, yellow, white, silver, and purple. It looked like someone had robbed a holiday store.

"Yep." Ruby said weakly.

"All of this goes on the tree." Yang added. " _All of it._ "

Blake took another look at everything.

"Okay, where do we start?" Blake asked those with experience. Ruby whimpered, Yang cracked her knuckles.

"Alright Team RBY! To the lights."

* * *

Blake collapsed on the couch bonelessly. Three hours, they had been decorating the tree for three hours and it still wasn't finished.

"Why?" Blake asked the general ceiling area. "Just why?" Blake grunted as Yang flopped over her.

"Well aren't you lot a sorry sight." Tai called from the doorway. "You're lazing around and there's still a box left."

"You can't be serious." Blake said.

"Oh no, he's serious alright. Every decoration goes on the tree, and then comes off the tree."

Simultaneously the three girls shuddered.

* * *

"Hey, Blake, wait up!"

"Hm?" Blake paused at the foot of the stairs, looking back at Yang. "What-"

"Here." Yang thrust a brightly wrapped box into her hands.

"-is this?" Blake finished, looking at the box.

"It's a tradition." Yang gave a wide smile and little half shrug that meant she was actually worried about something.

"This isn't going to explode right?" Blake asked, already peeling off the tape neatly.

Yang didn't answer but Blake was distracted but the gift. It was a bauble, and Blake thought she'd hate them by now but apparently not. It was mate black, with a gloss stencil of her symbol on the side.

"It's a tradition for family to have something on the tree, and soulmates definitely count as family-"

Blake kissed her, soft and gentle at the foot of the stairs.

"Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took 10 chapters but I finally wrote a kiss... Well mentioned one anyway. I tried not to make this a Christmas fic but I spent 6 hours decorating tree's that aren't even mine. Christmas spirit was forced out of me.
> 
> Also and omake because I couldn't work it in properly:
> 
> "Hel-looooo! I believe you two may know each other?" Those words were what made Blake look up from her book. There was a blond who was apparently the one who spoke (holyshitholyshit) and…
> 
> "Aren't you the girl that exploded?" Blake asked, without all the red it was hard to place the girl who'd been yelled at by the Schnee.
> 
> Also her soulmate was right there! And Blake hadn't said anything? What was wrong with her?
> 
> "Uh, yeah! My name's Ruby! But you can just call me Crater... " Call her what? "Actually, you can just call me Ruby."
> 
> "Ok." Blake looked back down at her book, trying to keep calm and work out what she was supposed to say. The two girls were whispering but Blake wasn't paying attention, what was she supposed to say?
> 
> "So... What's your name?" Soulmate blond asked. That… solved problems.
> 
> "Blake."
> 
> The two girl froze and Yang pulled a scrunchie off her left wrist. "Is this you?" She asked.
> 
> "Yeah, yeah that's me." Blake agreed, seeing her handwriting.
> 
> "I'm, I'm Yang, Ruby's sist-"
> 
> "YOU'RE SOULMATES?" Ruby shouted, immediately drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Blake felt herself flush but Yang seemed used to it.
> 
> "Don't you realise some of us are trying to sleep?" The Schnee stalked over and Blake sighed.
> 
> It had started out such a nice night too.


	11. Blake/Sun: Nothing But Small Talk

Blake had stood here before, when she had decided to become a huntress, to change her ways, to help people, to fight Grimm. She had stood here and looked at the statue and thought that maybe Human-Faunus cooperation was actually possible. Then she ruined it.

Blake looked away from the statue and squeezed her eyes shut, holding back tears. She untied the bow and dropped the ribbon, slowly opening her eyes. It wasn't like the bow was going to do any good now.

"I knew you'd look better without the bow." Came a voice from behind her. Blake started, not having heard him coming. Time was she wouldn't let anyone sneak up on her, let along someone she didn't trust.

"I didn't ask you." Blake managed, glaring at the Faunus from the docks. It wasn't his fault, she knew, but…

We'll, she'd gone for the bow for a reason.

"Whoa, hey, I didn't mean anything by it!" He said, holding his hands up in a 'don't shoot' gesture. "You just don't look like you've had the best day."

"Hn." Blake snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Ok, that might be an understatement." He said, keeping his hands up. "But Mama taught me never to leave a crying girl on her own."

"She teach you to stowaway on ships too?" Blake asked.

"Eh, let's keep that between us… Soulmates pact?" He offered with a smile. "Wait, we are soulmates, right? Because those were definitely my words."

"Yeah, soulmates." Blake agreed.

"Awesome, I'm Sun by the way, Sun Wukong." He grinned wide and easy and Blake could feel herself calming down.

"Blake Belladonna."

* * *

"Are you going to keep following me?" Blake finally asked. They'd been waking mostly aimless through the dark streets of Vale. She was tired, she was cold, she was freaking out. There was a big part of her that wanted to run far away from Vale, but Sun was talking and not giving her the chance to leave.

"Do you have a place to stay?" He asked casually. The bastard didn't even look cold, even with his shirt hanging open.

"No." Blake admitted, immediately seeing where this was going.

"Money?" Sun asked again, voice still casual.

"No."

"Food?"

"No." Blake growled.

"Gonna go back to Beacon?"

"No… Not just yet." Blake added softly. "I really don't think they want to see me."

"Then I'm staying with you." Sun shrugged. "Or you're staying with me. Come on, I know a place."

"I don't need you to watch over me." Blake protested.

"Yeah, but I'm here now," Sun shrugged. "And unlike you, I know where to spend the night." He raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Coming?"

"Yeah."

* * *

"Do you know where you're going?" Blake asked finally. Sun stopped in the middle of his story to look at her.

"Not in a find it on a map sense?" He said fianlly. "It's a friend of a friend of a friends place ok? Trust me."

"Really?" Blake aksed. "That's what you're going with?"

"Got you to smile didn't it?" Sun ginned and Blake scowled at him. "Oh, no come on, I'm sorry."

"If we don't stop soon I'm knocking you out and hiding your body in a dumpster." Blake glared.

"Eh, not my worst night."

* * *

Whatever time it was when Blake finally sat down, inside, in the warm, was definitely one of the unpleasant hours of the morning. The ones where outside felt colder than it had any right to.

Despite this, or maybe because of it, Blake couldn't sleep. There as too much going on in her head. She could hear Weiss yelling, then that sudden crushing silence. On a loop over and over.

"You don't hide." Blake said, apropos of nothing.

"Can't really." Sun said, sounding half awake. "Tail's kinda got a mind of its own."

"I'm sorry." Blake said, not really sure what she was apologising for. Bringing it up? The fact that he couldn't hide and she could?

"It's not that bad for Faunus these days. There's still some assholes but… that's totally why you had the bow isn't it? Sorry." From her position on the couch Blake watched Sun drag himself into a something resembling sitting up.

"For what?" Blake asked.

"I can't just be sorry?" Sun yawned. "I guess your team didn't take it well?"

"One of them didn't." Blake muttered darkly.

"One of th- wait, the Schnee girl is on your team? Tough break."

"It wasn't so bad." Blake lied. Weiss hadn't been as bad as Blake had feared, sure, but there were some things she said, or assumed. Maybe she wasn't as blatant as Cardin but she wasn't a picture of tolerance and respect either.

"That sounds like a lie." Sun said.

"She didn't know I was a Faunus." Blake said, not really sure if it was a defence or not. "It must have been worse for you."

"Some people said stuff. A few tried to start stuff, that stopped once I got these," he said, gesturing at his chest. "Can't imagine why." Blake gave him a Look and he grinned. "Kids are kinda the worst, there's like this age where they don't understand that my tail is attached to my spine."

"Ugh, I had to look after a teething musk deer Faunus, try convincing them that ears aren't chew toys."

"That sounds like a story." Sun laughed and Blake hid a yawn behind her hand. "Sounds like something to be told with breakfast though."

"That's in three hours." Blake said, curling up on the couch.

"Breakfast is whenever you wake up Blake, how do you not know that by now."

"Thank you so much for enlightening me." Blake said, closing her eyes.

"My plea-eh-eh-eh-sure." Sun said through a yawn.

* * *

"Why aren't you staying at Beacon?" Blake asked over breakfast. Well, brunch. Well, lunch. Sun's friend of a friend had attached a sticky note to his head giving them use of the kitchen so long as they didn't burn the place down.

"I will be, I'm just really early. Really unbelievably early. But a free ride-"

"For a given definition of free." Blake interjected.

"A free ride," Sun repeated with emphasis. "Showed up and I couldn't turn that down. Only Beacon really isn't ready for the Haven students yet."

"So you're camping out on someone's floor." Blake finished.

"Well, it was going to be someone's couch but I'm a gentleman." Sun grinned.

"Of course."

* * *

"You really want to buy another bow?" Sun asked as they weaved through the lunch time crowds. Blake didn't give that a response. "I'm just saying you don't have to hide." His tail flicked in emphasis.

"That's not why I'm doing it." Blake said. She was hyperaware of the crowds now, like someone was going to start screaming at her. Even Sun walking with her wasn't helping.

When it was clear Blake wasn't going to say anything else Sun shrugged. "Alright, how about a colour change then? I'm thinking a nice sunshine yellow."

"Ugh." Blake rolled her eyes and ignored Sun's grin

* * *

"So," Blake said, looking up from her tea. "You wanted to know more about me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sun is a good person who does not take advantage of his soulmates emotional state to get information. This takes place during the two days Blake is missing, as you might get from her last line. I tried to keep it with the timeline, with the added soulmateness to make them talk. I'm fairly sure Sun spends a day talking about all the dumb things Neptune did that were somehow sooo coool
> 
> I have a driving test in about 12 hours, I should really be sleeping... Wish me luck.


	12. Ruby/Yang: Like a Rose

Ruby knew that dad didn't like her soulmark. It was the colour that had him grumbling but Ruby didn't know why. Mum didn't like that dad didn't like her soulmark. She'd glare at him over Ruby's head whenever he started up.

No one would tell Ruby what the problem was, refused to even tell her there was a problem even though it was obvious. She did what her parents didn't do, and didn't bring up her soulmark at home.

Olive had read the words for her. Being tightly spiraled on her back Ruby couldn't read it herself, and her parents weren't going to. Well, mum might have but that went against Ruby's 'don't mention it at home' policy.

Whoever 'What are you doing out here kid? Don't you know it's dangerous?' was, Ruby wasn't going to ask dad.

* * *

 

Ruby doesn't understand dad's problem with her words until she's cleaning out the attic. She and Olive did something a bit not good and the dusty, spider filled, junkyard is her punishment.

Since both mum and dad were away on missions Ruby had the house to herself. Obviously, she was using this time to snoop.

It was hard being Qrow Branwen's daughter; he always knew when someone was listening in. It made it impossible to get any dirt on him or mum when they were home. Everyone else had something on their parents, like how Olive's dad refused to wear shoes and would hide them in the letter box on the way to school until he was fifteen.

It's all little things but Ruby had none, which was embarrassing.

The box in the back of the attic is dusty and really out of place. It was wooden when the rest were plastic, and unlabelled.

"Jackpot." Ruby grinned. Dusty old chest hidden in the back of the attic? It was bound to have embarrassing baby photos or something.

It was locked, but dad taught her to pick locks. It was a useful skill for a huntress, dad said. As the lock gave way Ruby cheered and lifted the lid.

Well… It wasn't baby pictures, that was sure.

Who were these people? There was mum in her white cloak and her dad looking mostly the same. Who was the guy? The girl who looked like dad? Someone on the Branwen side? There were heaps of them and Ruby couldn't keep track of everyone.

But she didn't look like anyone Ruby could remember seeing, not even in family photos. The mystery guy had the same colour as her words. Who were these people?

* * *

 

"So you think your dad has some secret family who he used to be on a team with but hasn't spoken too because of your soulmark? " Olive asked, eyebrows creeping higher. "Are you sure attic dust isn't rotting your brain?"

"I know it should crazy like that but-" Ruby protested and was silenced by a hand over her mouth.

"No, trust me it just sounds crazy." Olive assured, removing her hand as Ruby pouted dramatically. "Oh come on, don't be like that. How long 'till your parents get back?"

"Dad should be back in a couple of days. Mums probably going to be another week or so."

"Aw, suck." Olive frowned. "You could have just asked."

"I'm not just going to ask them!"

* * *

 

"Miss Rose, could you come with me please?"

Ruby looked up from her classwork an into the principals' concerned face. With the class watching Ruby followed. The Principals office wasn't unfamiliar, but dad was there and looking worried. Ruby felt her stomach drop.

"Did something happen?" Ruby asked. Because Signal was a combat school and mum was supposed to be back yesterday and-

Dad and the principal looked at each other. Ruby's world shattered.

* * *

 

Bereavement leave. Ruby was on bereavement leave because mum was… There wasn't even a body… She was just… Gone.

Dad was arranging the funeral and flinched whenever he met Ruby's eyes. Her mothers eyes.

Bereavement leave, so Ruby snuck out to cry on Olive's shoulder as her parents cajoled Ruby into eating something.

Ruby texted dad to say she was staying over at Olive's. 

* * *

 

"I'm not letting anyone take my daughter!"

Ruby froze outside the door at her dad's voice. She wanted to be sick but she didn't want to move either.

"We aren't trying to." Said an unfamiliar man. "Qrow, be reasonable."

"I am reasonable."

"Qrow please, we can look after her for a few days, until the funeral. Give you both some time to morn." A woman this time.

"You aren't taking her. If I had my way you wouldn't even be talking to her."

"Qrow."

Ruby didn't stay to listen, she just left.

* * *

 

The funeral is lovely and awful. Ruby cries, dad hugs her and eventually they leave. Mum is left on the cliff, between the forest and the edge.

There's no body to burry, so mum gets the best spot.

* * *

 

Ruby snuck out to visit mum. Olive worried but she didn't need to. Ruby had her newly made scythe with her at all times, she wasn't stupid.

She just missed her mum. Would spend days with her, not talking to her, just sitting in silence and letting everything else go. Ruby can take down packs of Beowolves now. It's easy.

Grimm are drawn to the negative emotions after all.

* * *

 

"What are you doing out here kid? Don't you know it's dangerous?" The voice snapped Ruby from her focus on the stone. From the edge of the trees was a woman, a huntress, with lots of blond hair and gold gauntlets. A woman who had just said Ruby's words.

"I don't need any help." Ruby said. "I can take care of myself."

"Yeah kid, sure you can. Wanna follow me down to the town?" The blonde asked, making her way across the clearing to Ruby.

"No, I'm fine thanks."

"I can't just leave you up here, I don't care if you're at Signal, it's not safe." The woman was close enough to touch now, and Ruby glared at her. Soulmate or not she wasn't going to be treated like a little kid.

"Oh shit, you're Ruby aren't you? Mum hasn't stopped talking about you."

"Who's mum?"

"Raven Branwen." The huntress answered with a shrug. "I'm Yang by the way, Yang Xiao Long."

"Hi."

"I know you don't need me to help you, but I really wouldn't feel right leaving my soulmate here alone." Yang said. "Will you come down with me? I'll drop you home."

Ruby cast a lingering look at her mum's grave. "Ok."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No dramatic soulmate reaction on Ruby's side because she's a bit emotionally drained. I spent ages trying to come up with a whole backstory thing for this, where Ruby and Yang aren't sisters and because Qrow and Raven+Tai mostly burnt bridges they didn't really encounter each other.


	13. Blake/Weiss: Honesty Policy

Ice blue. Blake knew that colour, there wasn't a Faunus in the White Fang that didn't. Keeping it secret was self-preservation. When they had been peaceful there was infighting and people willing to go to extremes. The White Fang was under new management, it would be far worse. Their new leader had sent out messages with a simple message: You're with us, or you're against us. Blake had fallen in line. Adam was there and she had nowhere else to go.

* * *

The White Fang go from bad publicity to terrorist cells overnight. The Schnee Dust Company responded appropriately. Weiss was still young enough that people didn't want to talk about it around her. But she knew there was something wrong, she and father stopped leaving the manor, Winter spent less time at home and more at the Academy.

They don't tell her about the first disappearance until after. A kidnapping, an unpaid ransom, Weiss stopped having friends visit. Weiss stopped having friends.

She started to apply waterproof concealer over her soulmark. Anything to keep them safe.

* * *

Weiss dressed strategically. Everything she did was carefully chosen to present the image she wanted to present. An image that would live up to her soulmate's expectations. After all, they knew who she was, she wanted that to be a good thing. They would know her name without any scandal attached.

So Weiss wore long boots, the kind that were tall enough to completely hide all trace of the black writing. Her soulmark was hers, she wasn't going to let someone take it from her. Not like Winter's had been, spread out for everyone to know and say and lie about.

No, Weiss' soulmark was hers, it was staying that way.

* * *

There was a Schnee at Beacon. Blake hadn't expected that. For the last five years the Schnee had holed up in Atlas. For the past four years they'd barely been seen outside their manor.

So one (Weiss Schnee, youngest) shouting at some in the courtyard was a surprise. Red looks confused, and didn't seem to recognise Weiss Schnee. Which was strange because she looked old enough to have seen the songs and concerts at least.

"It's heiress, actually." Blake tells Red. The girl definitely looked confused, and how do you not recognise the Schnee Dust Company heiress? Had Blake just been focused on the family for years? Actually yes. Blake shifted her attention from Red. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

"Finally! Some recognition!" She smirked and Blake... killed any kind of good impression she could have made.

"The same company infamous for its controversial labour forces and questionable business partners." Blake added. Soulmate or not, how the Schnee company treated Faunus was wrong.

Weiss stammered in rage and snatched the dust bottle from Blake's hand before storming off. That... Could have gone much better. Had she even mentioned it to her? Did she know?

* * *

Weiss expected to meet her soulmate after Beacon. Expected that her soulmate would be at one of those stuffy parties Winter would always complain about.

That was obviously not the case. Instead her soulmate had sided against her and brought up those horrid accusations for no reason! Weiss was the innocent party, with some klutz almost killing her. Didn't that get a mention? Apparently not.

* * *

Blake had to listen to Weiss talk about Faunus. Most of the time she didn't seem to know what she was saying, how awful it was that she said that. She made comments, maybe not as overt as some (Cardin Winchester gets that dubious honour) but everything she said was so wrong.

If one of the Faunus students won a fight Weiss said they had an advantage, it was because their eyesight was better, their 'animal' made them react faster. Blake hated it. If this was how Weiss treated Faunus how would she treat Blake? She still wore her bow day and night. It wasn't confortable and it wasn't what she'd wanted.

She had wanted to be able to tell her team about her heritage, to be able to take the bow off in their dorms without getting looks or comments. But Weiss hated Faunus, hated the White Fang, why would Blake be any different?

* * *

Weiss was in shock.

Blake ran out of the room, and Weiss just watched her go. Because Blake was a part of the White Fang. They did not take human members.

Blake was a Faunus in the White Fang. A criminal, a terrorist, a liar, a spy. Were they even soulmates? Weiss hand never seen the words, which was stupid in hindsight. Why had she just trusted?

No one had run after Blake. Shouldn't Weiss be the one to do that? To catch her, to get answers?

_"Why do you think they hate Humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, people like you, that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!"_

She was wrong. Weiss hadn't done anything, Schnee Dust hadn't done anything. She was the victim.

"Weiss? Are you okay?"

* * *

_"You want to know why I despise the White Fang? It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!"_

Blake couldn't sleep. Weiss' words kept echoing through her head, looping and removing any chance of sleep. From the snores on the other side of the room this wasn't a problem for Sun.

And Weiss wasn't wrong. That was the problem. It was easy to say she was wrong not to trust all the Faunus for what the White Fang did, that was just discrimination. But the White Fang had been... Slipping over the years, getting more radical, and more aggressive.

_"What about the crew members?"_

_"What about them?"_

Had they really gotten that bad?

Had Blake?

* * *

Weiss didn't feel guilty about leaving Ruby and Penny behind. It was Ruby's fault they were out in a place they could meet that girl, if it had been up to Weiss she would have just called the cops. They hadn't even let her tell Professor Ozpin who deserved to know that there was a dangerous individual in his school.

(And if she was wrong? If Blake wasn't the enemy, the spy, the traitor? What then?)

When the explosion whent off at the docks Weiss and Yang looked at each other. If Ruby wasn't already involved she would be on route. Because she couldn't keep out of trouble and there was no way Weiss was leaving the safety of her partner to that Penny girl.

They didn't make it through the crowds to see the fight, just to see Ruby, Blake, and that Faunus boy looking worse for wear, but alive.

Weiss hadn't thought that was a concern until now.

"Weiss, I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with the-"

"Stop! Do you have any idea of how long we've been searching for you?" Weiss paused "Twelve hours. That means I've had twelve hours to think about this. And in that twelve hours, I've decided I don't care."

"You don't care?" Blake echoed dumbly.

"I don't care." Weiss repeated. "But don't think this means we aren't talking. Because this shouldn't have been able to happen."

* * *

"This is the Honesty Stick." Ruby declared, holding up a twig from the tree outside. "It has magic powers! If you are holding the Honesty Stick you can only tell the truth, and no one can interrupt you."

"Hey Ruby, what was your stuffed Beowolf's name?" Yang asked from the floor.

"Mr Grrr." Ruby answered, pointing directly at Yang. "See, honesty."

"I don't see why this is necessary." Weiss protested. "We aren't children."

"Shhh, it was this or locking you two in a room until you either fought or fu-"

Blake slammed her hand over her partner's mouth.

"Thank you Blake." Weiss smiled.

"Mmffmmff."

"No interruptions!" Ruby waved the Honesty stick in that air. "Shhhhhhh."

Blake met Weiss's eyes and smiled. Maybe things weren't perfect yet, but they were getting there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays everyone! Hopefully this finished on a light enough note? Because there's so much between these two and I love it, but also this is going up on a holiday and I don't want it to be a downer. Hopefully I'll have the next one up by 2016.


	14. Ruby/Winter: In The Family

In hindsight it was so obvious Weiss didn't know how she'd missed it. She had known Winter's soulmark, it had been winter who explained them to her. She had joked about how much of a dunce they had to be with their red handwriting. Handwriting Weiss had seen every day for the last two semesters without noticing.

So much for being top of the class.

* * *

"Soooo," Yang said from where she was flopped on the floor. "Should we have the soulmate conversation now?"

"What conversation?" Asked Ruby from above Weiss. Weiss needed to ask Winter about long term glyphs because every time their leader shifted the bed swayed dangerously and Weiss did not want to be under it when it inevitably fell apart.

"Come on sis, you should know this." Yang cracked her neck and sighed. "I haven't met mine yet, but I've got my mark. Ruby has hers too."

"But I haven't met them." Ruby added. Why was Yang looking at her like that? What had Weiss done?

"I haven't either." Blake said, not looking up from her book.

"Nor have I." Weiss said. "Are we going to do each other's nails next or can I get back to studying?"

Yang narrowed her eyes at Weiss. This must have been how the Nevermore felt when the blond was shooting Ember Cecilia down its throat. What was that girls problem?

* * *

Timing couldn't be more perfect. Winter's ship passed over the stadium just as the last match RWBY cared about wrapped up. The more time Weiss spent around Neptune the more she realised how much of a dork he was. A cute dork, but still a dork.

"She's here." Weiss breathed, ignoring the crowds after snacks.

"What? Weiss? Who's here?" Ruby asked.

"Oh It's been so long since I've seen her! Come on!" Weiss grabbed Ruby's arm, dragging her to the landing docks.

"Since you've seen who? Weiss! Where are we going?" Despite her protests Ruby had shifted so they were _striding_ through the corridors with interlinked arms. Weiss couldn't be bothered to change it because that would take time. Time they didn't have.

"Come on, come on!" Weiss squeezed them into a shuttle just as the doors started to close.

"Weiss, what's the big hurry? There's a shuttle every fifteen minutes." Ruby protested.

"Not enough time." Weiss said twitching. The shuttle was faster than using glyphs but it didn't feel like it.

"What's going on with you?" Ruby groaned, shuffling slightly. Crescent Rose was poking into Weiss' side, but Ruby was trapped between an oversized bag and the door so it was a small price to pay.

"I haven't seen her in years! I knew she was going to be here but I didn't know when, or that it would be so soon! I can't wait to show her Beacon, it's so different than back home." The shuttle landed and Weiss was out the doors before they were fully open, dragging a protesting Ruby behind her.

"Weiss! What is the big deal? Who is it? Who is she?" Ruby asked. Weiss slowed to a stop at the base of a large airship.

"Winter." Weiss breathed as her sister exited the plane.

"Wait? Your sister?" Ruby asked.

"Winter!" Weiss ran up toward her sister, Ruby following close behind. "Winter! Oh I'm so happy to see you-" Weiss glanced at the guard and realised suddenly that this wasn't a social visit. "Your presence honours us." She said formally, dipping into a curtsey.

"Beacon… It's been a long time. The air feels… different." Winter mused as the party walked toward them.

"I mean it is fall, so, eh, it's probably colder." Ruby muttered , fidgeting.

Weiss froze. Winter, for a moment, looked shocked. You could have dropped a feather and heared it in the colliseam.

There were a lot of things that suddenly made sense for Weiss. The way Ruby's handwriting had been oddly familiar (her S's were very distinctive) and the suspicious looks Yang had sent her for their first two months as a team.

"And you must be the Ruby Rose I've heard so much about." Winter said carefully.

Ruby's eyes widened dramatically. "Oh my gosh you're you!" she squealed. Weiss was fairly sure the Atlesian Knight-200's would need their auditory functions recalibrated. And that every Faunus Vale would have heard her.

"Indeed." Winter smiled. "Now, I have some time before I'm needed anywhere, how about you two show me around Beacon? Ruby can tell me all the embarrassing stories that don't make it into your letters."

"Nuh." Weiss managed.

"I've never seen her like this." Ruby said, waving a hand in front of Weiss' eyes. "Is she ok?"

"She'll be fine. You take the left arm, I'll take that right." Winter smiled.

Weiss just went along with it until a crazy man threw the head of an Atlesian Knight-200 at them.

"What?" Weiss asked, looking at the sparking head in confusion.

"Oh, I do not have time for this." Winter muttered.

"Oh no." Ruby added looking at the man. Even from here Weiss could smell the alcohol rolling off him.

"Is he drunk?" She asked, looking at her partner.

"Most of the time, yeah." Ruby agreed. "That's my uncle."

"What?" Weiss hissed.

"Ah, so you are that Ruby Rose, there was some debate." Winter said.

"Hey, You, Ice Queen. Saw that Gaudy ship of yours in town. I guess you're here, too." Ruby's uncle slurred.

"I don't have time for this Qrow." Winter glared. "Get on with it or go away. Before I fine you for damaging Atlas Military property."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." He said sarcastically. "Will you Atlas specialists be ok selling your souls to this garbage? Following Ironwood's lead huh?" He was drawing a crowd at this point. Apparently drunk people shouting in the street were more interesting that Hunters and Huntresses fighting. And there were Scrolls out, lovely.

"I don't know what you think you're implying, but that is enough." Winter's voce was clipped. Ruby hadn't moved a muscle since her Uncle showed up. Since he hadn't acknowledged her presence in any way Weiss had to assume his vision was currently based on sound and movement.

"Heard ol' Ironwood finally turned his back on Ozpin." He continued "Or do you not get invited to those meetings?"

"What? Ozpin?" Weiss managed through the confusion.

"Stay out of it Weiss." Winter said, shuffling Weiss behind her like she was expecting a fight.

"Your Uncle is crazy!" Weiss hissed at Ruby.

"Listen to big sister, Weiss. She'll protect you. Just like Atlas is going to protect all of us, huh?" He grinned as Winter shifted her hand to her blade. She noticed, letting the hand fall back to her side.

"Any other time I would play along with whatever game you are playing, but you have caught me at a bad time. I was about to join my sister and soulmate for lunch." Winter's voice was cool and calm, the dangerous kind that she only used when she was thinking about how easy it would be to make you vanish.

"Keeping it in the family are we?" He snorted.

"Actually," Winter said with a smirk. "Keeping it in yours. You do recognise your niece don't you?"

Hundreds of people and almost as many Scroll's watched as Ruby's uncle stumbled back a step, face going blank and a touch grey.

"Oh, wow. That's his blue screen of death look." Ruby said in an awed whisper. "I've only seen it once before." She snapped her full attention to Winter as they started moving through the dispersing crowd. "Teach me your ways!"

"Maybe later." Winter said with a smile. "For now, I believe that Weiss wrote about bunk beds?"

"Oh yeah, they're defiantly more stable than they look." Ruby grinned.

"It would be hard for them not to be." Weiss teased.

"Hey!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, writing a non-soulmated point of view was fun. Ruby's thoughts for this is basically "OMG my soulmate already knows who I am!... What did Weiss do to make Yang hate her so much?... EEEEEEEEEEEE SHES HERE SHES REAL AND HERE EEEEEEEEEE... Uncle Qrow stopp you're embarrassing meeeeeeee"
> 
> Also there was a deleted scene where Qrow and Weiss were soulmates too and the Brawl ended up being one of those awkward public family shouting matches. I'm gonna save that for one of the Qrow/Weiss ones.
> 
> The next batch:
> 
> Ruby/ Cinder
> 
> Ruby/ Emerald
> 
> Ruby/Blake
> 
> Ruby/Beowolf
> 
> Jaune/Pyrrha
> 
> Velvet/Cardin


	15. Ruby/Cinder: Unforeseen Circumstances

_"Visiting from Haven, actually"_

_"Ooh! You're here for the festival! But exchange students have their own dormitory."_

Ruby waved off the students and was halfway to the library before the familiarity of the words clicked.

* * *

 Truthfully it had taken some time before Cinder realised what was so familiar about the girl in the hallway. It had taken even longer to realise why her directions were so familiar.

"Cinder? Is something wrong?" Emerald asked.

"No." Cinder said slowly, tasting the syllable. "We might have a change of plans."

"Because of her?" Mercury's voice dripped disdain.

"Yes." Cinder said, starting forward again. "Keep up, don't want to get lost now to we."

* * *

 

"Yang something happened!" Ruby burst into the room, scattering game pieces in her wake.

"Uh Ruby? What's going on?" Yang asked blearily, rubbing her eyes.

"Some of us are trying to sleep you know." Weiss grumbled.

"I-think-I-met-my-soulmate!" Ruby blurted.

"You what?" "You think?" Yang and Weiss asked at the same time.

"I bumped into some of the haven students and they were lost and one of them said something familiar but I didn't realise it until she was gone and I don't know her name or if she has my words because I didn't say anything." Ruby babbled.

"You utter dunce." Weiss sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Really Ruby? I can't-" Ruby's face started to tremble. "Oh no its going to be fine!" Yang hurried to assure her, desperate to prevent any waterworks.

"You know where she's staying; you can just find her and ask." Weiss suggested. "Not right now!" She added as Ruby looked to the door. "It's the middle of the night and we have class tomorrow."

" But-" Ruby started.

"Shut up." Blake grumbled, sitting up and glaring at RWY. "If you aren't all in bed and sleeping in 30 seconds I'm tying you down with Gambol Shroud."

With an explosion of rose petals Ruby was in bed. "Sorry Blake." she whispered.

"Huf." Blake sighed.

* * *

  _Thrawp-Thunk... Thrawp-Thunk... Thrawp-Thunk..._

Arrows sank into targets and Cinder sighed. Her third arrow had been just a hair to the left, the second a hair to the right. Getting her aim right after... Acquiring her news powers was a hassle she didn't need. Made all the worse because she didn't have all of them.

"Damn," Someone whistled behind her. "Nice aim."

"Thank you..." Cinder turned and waited for the blond to fill in her name. She should have noticed the blond coming in, another thing to improve without losing face. She did always like a challenge.

Not the best time for it however. So much to do, so much to do.

"Yang. Don't think I've seen you around here before, I know my sis would have been fawning over your bow." Yang grinned. She moved over to one of the tables to dismantle a gold gauntlet, taking out a cloth and pick to get into all the mechanisms.

"Your sister likes bows?" Cinder asked as she walked down the range to retrieve her arrows.

"More like she likes weapons." Yang laughed. "She'll accost you in a hallway if you're not careful."

"Already had that once so far. I haven't even been her twenty four hours." Cinder yanked the arrows out of the gel targets.

"You... You aren't from Haven, are you?" Yang asked.

"Yes I am." Cinder said slowly. She turned to face Yang and the blonds narrowed eyes. "Is there a problem with Haven?"

"Did you see a girl with red hair last night?" Yang asked instead.

"Yes, actually." Cinder started to walk back, giving Yang a slightly confused smile. "Do you know her? She bumped into my team and I, not intentionally I'm sure."

"I'm about to be really rude, but she's my little sister so I think I'm aloud." Yang said. The blond looked dangerous and Cinder very carefully didn't smile.

"Ok then." Cinder lent on the table by Yang. "What do you want to know?"

"What's you're soulmark? The handwriting and the colour." Yang had mastered the protective sister glare apparently. Cute.

"Well, okay then." Cinder answered, unwrapping her right arm. Ruby red writing wrapped around her wrist and down the back of her hand. "It's part of the reason I was so excited to come here."

"Aw Ruby." Yang sighed. "That's definitely my sister. Sorry, she barged into the dorm and started talking about you. We had to talk her out of hunting you down."

"For the best." Cinder assured, wrapping the bandage back up. "Polly likes her sleep."

"Are you Polly?" Yang asked as she started slotting together pieces of the gauntlet.

"No, I'm Cinder. Polly is my partner." Cinder smiled. "Terrifying in the mornings."

Yang snorted. "Well, I think I'm supposed to give you a speech about hurting my sister, but I think I'll save that until after you two have met properly."

"Kind of you." Cinder drawled.

"It is." Yang slotted the final piece into place. "Right, well, Ruby's last class finishes in fifteen minutes, if you want to meet her properly."

"I- Yes, please." Cinder smiled and separated her bow into blades, sheathing them. It was so nice when others did the work without her having to ask.

"Come on then, if we aren't fast Weiss will kidnap her for study related purposes." Yang grinned, seemingly at ease with Cinder now.

"Can't have that."

* * *

 "Ruby!"

Ruby turned to see the bright yellow figure of Yang waving to her from across the hall. There was someone else standing next to her and-

"Oh dust what did you do?" Ruby hissed at Yang. Yang grinned and elbowed her in the side.

"Well, I'd love to stay and talk but I need to distract the Ice Queen." Yang grinned as Ruby pulled a face. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." She added as she left.

"That's not saying much." Ruby said. "She sets things on fire a lot." Ruby smiled as the other laughed. "Um, I'm Ruby by the way... but you probably already worked that out."

"Your sister told me. I'm Cinder." She smiled and it made her look a lot more approachable. Still a bit like a character from a fairy tale but one of the nice characters.

"Have you been able to see much of Beacon?" Ruby asked, desperately fishing for a conversation.

"Without getting lost, even." Cinder joked as they moved away from the crowd.

"They really need to start giving out maps." Ruby said. "Before orientation my friend Jaune and I ended up walking around one fountain about three times..."

* * *

"Is it good news? Because let me tell you Perry I have had a day."

Ruby glared at her captors, shifting the glare to Torchwick as he exited the train car. She hated feeling helpless, she hated not having Crescent Rose. There had to be an exit around her somewhere, she just had to find it.

"That would be bad." He finished before sighing at her. "What are you doing still toughing her? Do you want her to take a limb?" He asked the White Fang members? What?

Torchwick rubbed his nose and sighed again. "Whatya doing down here Red?"

Ruby took the opportunity to make a break for it, leaving Torchwick and the White Fang talking to rose petals. She veered left when she heard gunshots only to get a faceful of gas.

"Sorry Red, you're very valgrum,..."

When Ruby came to she was lying next to a collapsed wall. Everything was fuzzy and her mouth felt like it was filled with cotton.

"Ruby! Ruby?"

"Yang?" Ruby turned toward the voice and her stomach protested.

"Ruby, are you ok? What happened to you?" Yang started checking her over.

"I... I don't remember."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to have Cinder thinking like Cinder but not acting like her because, you know, undercover stuff. I’m fairly sure the whole train thing was supposed to happen with the Yang/Mercury fight so in a world where Ruby is on the ‘no lethal force, no touching, don’t even look at her too hard or Cinder will burn your face off’ world it doesn’t happen.
> 
> Updates for the next week and a half are going to be spottier than usual I’m afraid. I managed to fracture my foot on Saturday which means I’m spending a lot of time taking painkillers and trying to sleep. Add to this my international flight on the 12th (that I can’t pack for because of the whole foot thing) and things are a bit hectic. And hurty.
> 
> I’m still writing things, just not at my usual pace.


	16. Ruby/Emerald: End of the

Every important event in Emerald’s life started with meeting someone in a hurry. She’d blame her soulmark but by now it was probably her own fault. After all there was only so much running someone could do before someone caught them. She was lucky it was Cinder and not someone else.

Police tend to come in pairs after all, and two minds was hard enough when they didn’t suspect her of pinching whatever shiny thing caught her attention.

So it started with Cinder. Cinder standing at the mouth of the ally delivering an ultimatum: join her or get caught. After all, the mob hunting her wasn’t going to play nice, not at this point. Emerald should have left town weeks ago, but no, she’d had to push her luck.

So she agreed to work with Cinder. The snowflake that started an avalanche.

Mercury was running. Not literally, not yet anyway, but Emerald knew that look. It was the kind of look that burnt any and all bridges before salting the earth. Maybe spitting on a grave or two along the way. He was desperate too, even if he was trying to hide it. Emerald knew it, Cinder knew it too. She could sniff it out.

Cinder made an offer, and Mercury joined, and things changed.

Emerald wasn’t in her comfy niche anymore. Things weren’t the same, she wasn’t Cinder’s soul partner anymore, Mercury kept butting in where he didn’t need to be. It had been fine before, they had been fine without him.

Cinder… Didn’t agree.

* * *

 

Her soulmark had always been hers. Ruby red writing a closely guarded secret. Maybe she would have told Cinder back when it was the two of them against the world. Before Mercury, before Torchwick, before the White Fang. When Cinder was protector/mother/sister/boss/everything Emerald would have told her anything she wanted to know.

Cinder never wanted to know about soulmarks. Maybe she didn’t believe in them, maybe she didn’t understand them. There was no black mail or extortion involving soulmarks, Cinder just ignored them.

So when Ruby Rose crashed into Emerald, stuttered out the “Sorry. Are you okay?" that was over Emeralds heart, Cinder didn’t notice.

"I'm fine. Just watch where you're going." Emerald said with a smile, offering a hand to hall the girl up.

Emerald’s words went right over the girls head. Ruby babbled something about exchange students and some directions before racing off to wherever she had to be.

Still alive.

Cinder vanished into their rooms and Mercury lingered like a bad smell. “So,” He said. “That’s the girl that’s been giving… Torchwick… so much trouble.”

“I swear Mercury if you so much as touch-“

“Whoa, chill. Soulmates are special.” Mercury tapped his left foot. “I respect that.” He mimed zipping his lips. “I’m not covering for you.”

“I wasn’t going to ask.”

* * *

 

For a school the size of Beacon there wasn’t a lot of students. The campus was huge, but that was a necessity when your students had an innate ability to destroy things, or built weapons that exploded in new and interesting ways.

It didn’t take long for Emerald to run into Ruby again. Not quite as literally but still effective, at least if the stare she could feel was anything to go by. Maybe Mercury was a helping by acting the ass, not that he needed to act, but Ruby was set on talking.

Emerald met her eyes, grinned, and poked her tongue out. A simple message, that seemed to be understood. What would it take before someone worked it out? Cinder might not care about soulmate, but she was far from the only person Ruby had irritated.

Then Emerald caught Mercury’s look of panic before he forfeited the fight. It was only a little, and only for a moment, but it was there. What had Pyrrha done?

* * *

 

“Have you actually spoken to her for more than five minutes?” Mercury asked voice low.

“I’ve been trying.” Emerald hissed. “But in case you haven’t noticed we’re kind of in the middle of something.”

“Please, you could set off fireworks without that lot noticing.” Mercury scoffed. “Too chicken to talk to the girl?”

“That’s not it.” Emerald growled. “And you know it.”

“You should invite her to the dance.” He started nodding a count. “Especially since every time she’s been left unattended during a raid she ruined everything.”

“Asshole.” Emerald muttered. Mercury grinned as the charges went off.

* * *

 

“Hey Ruby! Can I have a quick word?” Emerald called down the hall.

“Sure what-“

“Exactly what do you want with my baby sister?” Yang asked stepping smoothly in front of Ruby.

“To talk to her?” Emerald asked as Ruby franticly shook her head behind Yang. “We haven’t had a chance to chat in a while?”

“Hmmmm.” Yang narrowed her eyes dangerously.

“Yang! Blake’s headed to the library again!” Ruby hissed, pointing down the hall at someone who wasn’t Blake. “Stop her.”

Yang immediately looked torn, switching from suspicious glares at Emerald, to a worried look up the hall. After another frantic “Yang!” the blond was off.

“Sorry, she gets a bit protective.” Ruby shrugged.

“I’m just glad she didn’t know what I was going to say.” Emerald grinned. “Otherwise I think they’d be finding bits of me in Atlas.”

“Huh?” Ruby asked.

“I know we haven’t really been able to talk much.” Emerald shrugged. “But I was hoping to fix that? And that you might go to the dance with me?”

“Yes! I mean, um, I would like that.” Ruby bit her lip and smiled. “But, I’m helping decorate-“

“That’s fine, I’ll meet you there?” Emerald offered, feeling strongly dry mouthed.

“Mhm.” Ruby nodded and darted in for a quick hug.

* * *

 

The hall looked beautiful and Ruby looked beautiful and Cinder had slipped off to do bad things. It didn’t sit right. Emerald should have been able to enjoy this without worrying about what Cinder was doing, how it would affect Ruby.

Dancing with Ruby shouldn’t be to distract her.

“You guys are shadowing hunters soon, right?”

“Yeah. We’re all pretty excited… and a bit nervous”

“You’re going to do fine.” Emerald grinned.

She caught a glimpse of Mercury out the corner of her eye. Damn it.

* * *

 

The dust cloud bloomed in the distance before the sound hit them. Sirens started, through the city and through Beacon.

“You don’t think?” Emerald asked with her eyes trained on the horizon. Where had Ruby ended up? Mountain Glenn? Was she ok?

“Sure looks like it.”

“But that’s still days away!” Days that would bring Ruby back to Beacon and hopefully away from the invading Grimm.

“So? What do we do?” Mercury asked Cinder.

“We help catch the bad guy.” Cinder drawled. “Like good little hunters and huntresses.”

* * *

 

“So, you wanted to speak to me.”

“Yes sir.” Emerald held the cup between her hands but didn’t drink. “There’s something you need to know.”

“And what is that.” Ozpin adjusted his glasses.

“Everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this was going to be a cute fluffy thing about Emerald trying to get to know Ruby without revealing anything about murdertwins/the fact that the first thing she did once arriving in Vale was steal from an old man and kill a dude. Then Beginning of the End happened. So the story changed a bit.  
> Also I’m here to announce a slight change to the schedule. I realised that I had 100 requests(!!!!) which is awesome(!!!!!) but also means that at best some of you wouldn’t get anything for years and that’s not fair.  
> So I went through and found all the double/triple ups, which dropped things down to a more manageable 68 (!!!!). The double ups are going to be shorter, group fills. So a chapter with several 300-500 words parings rather than a single 1000ish word one.   
> Hopefully this means I can update faster too. (She says before classes start)  
> Thanks for sticking with me through the last few weeks, you guys are the best.


	17. Blake/Ruby: What Big Ears You Have

"So what's-" Ruby started to ask her savior. Her savior who was already walking away. Ugh.

"Welcome to Beacon." She muttered to herself as she slumped on the ground.

What a way to start.

* * *

 

Blake's ears twitched and she missed a step. She couldn't look back now, a human wouldn't have heard that, but... those words, that colour. What were the chances?

Orientation, she would find her at orientation.

* * *

 

She did not find her at orientation. Well, she kind of did but since Red was in a blonde girls arms getting shouted at by Schnee. Not the best time for that conversation.

But they were spending the night before initiation in one massive room. The entire entrance class. No exceptions.

Under her bow Blake's ears itched.

* * *

 

A distressing amount of prospective students didn't seem to care about showering. The room smelt of sweat and travel so Blake was making a concentrated effort to breathe through her mouth. No sign of Red, or the blond she was with.

That was probably a good thing. After all, it wasn't a conversation that Blake wanted to have in public.

Her ears itched under the bow. She had tried to get one that would be soft, but it was hard to test.

* * *

 

Yang had taken to the sisterly duty of teasing Ruby about her soulmark for as long as she could remember. The spiky black handwriting that spieled up her arm was unique. Ruby wasn't sure it was going to be a proud and graceful first impression but things be worse.

"Yeah, you're the girl who exploded."

At least it was going to be really identifiable. And she'd already exploded once this semester. Things were looking up! Possibly.

"Cheer up sis!" Yang scolded, flopping down on her sleeping bag in a way that had several boys' eyes glaze over. Catching sight of them Yang rolled her eyes and winked at Ruby. "It's supposed to be a get to know people night, go talk to someone. Make a friend." Yang added poking Ruby to punctuate her words.

"Last time I tried to do that I exploded." Ruby countered, pulling her writing stuff closer. "I really don't want to do that again."

"But it's a step closer to your soulmate!" Yang teased. "Come on, Jaune's a friend right? You wouldn't have met him without exploding."

"And I wouldn't have met Weiss! Negative friend! Abort mission!" Ruby groaned. "Yaang!"

"Nope, I'm going to have you plus one more friend by lights out." Yang declared dramatically. "Soo, who do you recognise?"

"Yaaang!" Ruby protested, but gave in. In this kind of mood Yang wouldn't be stopped by anything.

Still Ruby looked around the room properly. No faces jumped out, there were some that she had seen at the assembly or in the dining hall but no one that she-

"Who's she?" Yang asked, leaning on Ruby to see where she was looking.

"I don't know, but she was there when I, you know, and she left before I could say anything." Ruby said. The girl still had her bow in place and was reading, seemingly oblivious to the people and noise around her.

"Well then, let’s go talk to her!" Yang declared, dragging Ruby up.

* * *

 

"I believe you two may know each other?" Blake looked up from her book to see the blond from earlier, gesturing rather dramatically at... Oh.

"Yeah, you're the girl who exploded." Blake said carefully.

Red eeped and started hitting the blond, who looked a bit shocked herself.

"I think we should take somewhere a bit quieter?" Blake suggested, biting her lip and dog-earing the page of her book.

* * *

 

Blake led Red out of the main room and toward the lawn. There was still a steady stream of students finishing their nightly rituals but now enough of them smelt like soap and toothpaste that it wasn't so much of a problem. Explaining these things to Red...

Soulmates, right?

"I'm Blake." She said once they were out in the cool night. "I didn't get your name earlier."

"Ruby, I'm Ruby." The girl shuffled nervously. "Um, are we actually? I just, I know those are my words but-"

"I suspected already." Blake admitted, keeping a careful eye on the outside door. "Sorry I didn't wait to talk."

"That's oka- wait, did you know?" Ruby asked. "How?"

"I-" Blake swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. "I heard what you said, when you started to ask my name?"

"There's no way you could have heard that." Ruby said. "And if you heard me why didn't you turn around?"

"Because," Blake twisted her hands in her lap. She'd been in Beacon for less than twenty four hours and she was already telling someone? No, not someone, her soulmate. There was a difference, there had to be. "Because I'm a Faunus." Blake said in once rushed breath. "I just, I don't want anyone to know and I didn't know how you would react and I didn't know what to say."

Ruby hugged Blake. "I forgive you for ditching me." She said lightly. "I mean I wasn't really much better, right?"

"Um?" Blake asked. "You, huh?"

"Yup. Forgiven." Ruby declared. "Can I see your words?" She added, looking up with the biggest puppy dog eyes on the planet.

"Yes."

* * *

 

"Gotta find Yang, gotta find Blake. Gotta find Yang, gotta find Blake." Ruby chanted, rushing through the trees.

She burst into a clearing with a crash of foliage. There was someone already there.

White boots, white dress, white hair.

Blue eyes.

"Oh come on!" Ruby pouted.

"No." Weiss answered, turning around and leaving.

* * *

 

"Weiss." Ruby started. "If you say one more derogatory thing about Faunus I'll jam Myrtenaster's Dust rollers. I will not tolerate that kind of behaviour or language in my team. Am I clear?"

"I haven't said anything that isn't true." Weiss protested. "I'm the victim here!"

"You're really not." Ruby said. "You are supported both by the privilege of being human, and by having large sums of money. Your family has a history of human and Faunus rights abuses that you don't seem to care about. You had a bad childhood? Most Faunus don't live past childhood."

"Where's your evidence!" Weiss protested. "The Schnee Dust Company isn't like that!"

In response Ruby dropped a stack of Journal Articles into Weiss's arms. “Here’s my a little of my evidence.”

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry! I wanted to get this out last week but I had no time to do anything that wasn’t uni related. How you Americans do it? There’s so much reading (I’m doing none of it right now.) My current goal is two updates a month? But I’m not entirely sure at the moment. Thanks for sticking with me guys, your education system is weird but I won’t hold that against you :)  
> The next chapter is probably going to be a group fill. Whenever that is.


	18. 4 in 1 Soulmate Snippets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Contains:  
> Cardin/Velvet: H-E double-hockey-sticks  
> Jaune/Pyrrha: What's Your Name Again?  
> Ruby/Penny: Like the Ocean  
> Winter/Yang: Tough Tiddies

Cardin/Velvet: H-E double-hockey-sticks

 

Cardin Winchester needed to be stronger. The strong had to fight, the weak had to stay away, that was how it worked.

If it meant that he could get strong enough to help his soulmate, that was just a bonus. Honest.

And maybe Cardin made big choices because of the writing on his arm, so what? If it meant he could help how was that a bad thing? He could protect people, protect them from themselves, that's what hero's did.

If the brown "Leave me alone" was driving him in a direction that wasn't bad. He was going to be able to help someone, at least one person. He was going to do good.

Maybe he'd be able to help them before anything happened, before they got scared.

A lot of things in Cardin's life were the Faunus' fault. They killed his granddad, and took dad's job. They took everyone's job when the Faunus didn't deserve them. When the jobs should be going to actual people. People who needed them more than the animals did.

Even Beacon was falling under their spell, broadcasting the fact that it accepted "the highest number of Faunus students of any school of it's kind."

"Look at that freak." Cardin ginned pointing at a pair of rabbit ears making their way through the cafeteria.

"Are those even real?" Sky asked, snorting.

"They've got to be. No way anyone normal would do that." Cardin rolled his eyes and as the Faunus passed their tabled called out "Hey Bunbun, those things real?" The Faunus flinched and Cardin scoffed. With all the things Faunus did this one couldn't handed a question? Didn't deserve to be in Beacon.

"Leave me alone." The Faunus muttered, walking faster past their table.

"Freak." Cardin scoffed, rolling his eyes.

* * *

 Jaune/Pyrrha: What's Your Name Again?

 

Pyrrha had always considered herself lucky. Not because of her rise to the top, although she was very lucky to have the fans and appreciation that she did. No, Pyrrha considered herself lucky because her soulmate introduced himself by full name.

"You know what else is great? Me. Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you." In bright yellow up her shin. He seemed nice, although she had resisted searching his name. It seemed wrong, they were bound to meet at some point and she didn't want to have expectations.

He was probably going to know all about her. Pyrrha had accepted that after the third news story. It became rather clear that the attention wasn't going to go away, that people she meet were going to know her better than she knew them.

Which is what made the meeting so… strange.

He didn't recognise her. He didn't realise she was famous, hadn't seen her fight. It took mentioning the cereal box for him to recognise her.

And even then he didn't recognise her. Didn't pick up on the fact that it was his words, the same colour as his hair, that were on her leg. That her words were on him somewhere.

She could get to know him for him, and him for her.

It was more than she had hoped for.

* * *

 Ruby/Penny: Like the Ocean

 

Ruby's soulmark wasn't normal. She knew that. She just wanted them to be ok, and for people to stop looking at her like she was going to start sobbing at the drop of a hat.

(Yes, she had cried the first time if faded, and when it came back, and when it faded, and when it came back.)

So maybe it wasn't normal! But her soulmate was still alive! The word was still written on her shoulder "Salutations" in bright green loopy handwriting. Nothing had happened to the mark for years. It hadn't faded or changed or moved or done any of those things people always thought it was doing.

Ruby didn't know what was happening to her soulmate for this to happen, but Ruby was going to help them however they needed. She was going to become a huntress and she'd be able to take care of anything that was going to hurt her soulmate! She'd be all woo-chic-pew-pew-hura and her soulmate would be fine.

Still, she stopped saying that to people. They gave her these looks, like she was a silly child that didn't know what she was talking about. Ruby wasn't blind, and she wasn't stupid.

She'd protect her soulmate from everything, the same way mum had protected her.

Ruby would be the hero, she would!

* * *

Winter/Yang: Tough Tiddies

 

Ruby might be a ridicules, though adorable, ball of obliviousness but Yang liked to think she wasn't. She recognised the colour of her soulmark. It was iconic, it was Schnee. They plastered their colour on all their branding, it became rather distinctive. Especially when it was written on her left boob.

So when Ruby managed to seriously… tick off the youngest Schnee Yang thought that was it, soulmate found and off to a great start (thanks sis!). But Weiss didn't say the right thing, didn't notice Yang's existence for the most part.

Not that Yang was going to bring that up to anyone of course. If no one ever knew that she had, for a moment, entertained the thought of Weiss Schnee being her soulmate. No one would let her live it down.

But seriously, "You must be Yang" had better show up soon. And explain how and why they knew who she was in advance. Because if it wasn't Weiss then she was running low on Schnee's it could be.

"And Winter's going to be here during the festival! It will be so good to see her again." Weiss was almost spinning on the spot she was so excited.

"Winter?" Ruby asked.

"My sister! Oh I can't wait to show her around Beacon, it's so different to back home."

"There's going to be more of you?" Blake joked.

Well, Yang thought, that might help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really sorry! I tried to have things up but words weren't happening >.


	19. Ruby/Beowolf: I Don't Think Even Big Girls Should

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man I loved this. It's my 4th? maybe 6th? rewrite of it but I'm so happy with it guys you can't even understand. End notes have some previous attempts. Title from Bowling For Soup. I'm not even sorry.

“So what is your soulmark then?” Weiss asked. “I’ve never seen it.”

Ruby paused at the library desk, pen hovering above the page. “What?”

“Soul-Mark.” Weiss dragged out the word like Ruby was a small child. “Words your soulmate will say to you when you first meet. You’ve all seen mine.” Weiss added, voice a touch bitter. It hadn’t been anyone’s fault but that hadn’t stopped Weiss before and it wasn’t going to stop her now.

“Ruby’s hasn’t shown up yet.” Yang finally said, as the silence stretched on.

‘Thank you’ Ruby mouthed at her sister, snapping her mouth closed as Weiss looked her way. “Yeah, haha, I don’t have one yet.”

“Hmmf.” Weiss muttered. “Too young to have a soulmark, too young to be a leader.”

“Hey!” Ruby protested.

“I was born with my soulmark.” Blake interrupted. “Does that mean I was fit to lead at eight weeks?”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it!” Weiss said.

“I don’t know it because that’s what you said.” Blake shrugged, flipping another page of her book.

Weiss glared but Yang thumping her book closed snapped the tension.

“Well I don’t know about you lot but I am starved! Ruby, come get snacks with me.” Yang demanded.

“Why do I have to come?” Ruby asked, not standing.

“Because as team leader it’s your job. Come on, sis.” Yang hauled Ruby up by and arm and started dragging the protesting girl out of the library. “We’ll be back soon.”

“So immature.” Weiss muttered, returning to her notes. Hidden by her open book Blake rolled her eyes.

* * *

 

“Yang what are you doing this isn’t the way to food.” Ruby whined, just a bit. She had been studying properly and it had just started to maybe sort of slightly make sense. Possibly.

“We are talking in private.” Yang said opening their dorm door and locking it behind them.

“Is this about my mark?” Ruby asked, looking at the floor. Gosh, wasn’t that a nice bit of floor. Look at it supporting the weight of people standing on it, such good floor.

“Yes it’s about your mark Ruby, of course it’s about your mark.” Yang threw her hands into the air. “You need to decide if you’re going to tell them.”

“Do I have to?” Ruby muttered. “It hasn’t come back yet, maybe this time it won’t.”

“Really Ruby?” Yang asked in her Disappointed Older Sister voice.

“It might not!” Ruby protested. “It’s not like there’s a precedent for this or anything!”

“Ruby.” Yang said seriously. “I know you don’t want to talk about it-“

“So I’m not going to. Great talk sis.” Ruby finished.

“But it’s important. What if it changes place again? To somewhere you can’t cover up? Or, and this is just a hypothetical, what if it comes for you. Again.” When Ruby refused to meet Yang’s eyes the older girl sighed. “This isn’t like on Patch Rub’s. You can’t just run off into the woods and kill Grim for a day, people will notice.”

“… it already came back.” Ruby muttered, shifting her weight from foot to foot. “It’s just light, I can’t really see it but it’s coming back.” Ruby looked up and meet Yang’s eyes. “I don’t want to tell them. Everyone got so weird about it back home and I don’t want that to happen again.”

“If you don’t tell them they’re going to find out.” Yang said softly. “Is that really better?”

“Yes.” Said Ruby. “Because they might not. It’s my soulmark Yang, you can’t just out me.”

“Okay.” Yang said, pulling Ruby into a hug. “I won’t say anything. I don’t agree but I won’t say anything.”

“Thanks.” Ruby muttered into her sister’s shoulder.

* * *

 

It was supposed to be a simple training excursion. Take the incoming class back to the Emerald Forrest to combat the rising Grim population. Give them a few days to put their training into practice before their exams, give them a taste of the real thing.

The key word was “supposed”. In hindsight it had been a fluster duck of epic proportions. Something Ruby should have known when she woke up the morning they were set to leave when, across her stomach, had bloomed her soulmark. Bone white mask stretching like scar tissue when she moved, almost luminous red eyes and markings. It was back, it was coming.

Ruby was up, dressed and ready to go before anyone else on the team. Something was going to go wrong.

(When Ruby had was 10 her class had taken a day trip into the woods on Patch. With combat teachers and trained parental supervises it was supposed to be a nice break from classes. A quick lesson in building shelters and finding water, but mostly an excuse to spend a day outside.

That morning Ruby’s mark had shown up for the first time. Across her left shoulder was a Grim mask glaring at her. She didn’t say anything, so everything that happened was her fault.

The Grim had come after lunch. A pack of Beowolves, then another, then another. They surrounded the class and attacked. There were too many Grim, too many children. In the chaos some were bound to get lost.

Ruby was alone with a training weapon when the Beowolf found her.

“I’m not scared of you.” She’d lied, pointing the gun at it. The creature cocked it’s head and watched her. “I’m not.” She’d repeated, knees shaking.

It started toward her and Ruby shot it again and again and again until it stopped, looked almost comically confused, and dissolved into nothingness.

That night her soulmark had been gone again.)

Ruby hadn’t been able to catch Yang alone. Her sister had of course chosen today to sleep in and Team RWBY ended up sprinting to the shuttle. Professor Goodwitch had glared at them, marked them on the roll, and continued her explanation.

Ruby kept one hand over her mark, as if she could feel a difference.

“You aren’t going to be sick on me are you?” Weiss asked.

“Hah nope.” Ruby said, not intentionally anyway, she added in her head.

It didn’t take long for everything to turn into a disaster. Reports had greatly underestimated the number of Grim in the forest – it was impossible for Grim to spawn that fast after all – and student hunters were underprepared.

Then It arrived. It had gotten bigger since Ruby last saw it, two years ago now, but was still easy to identify. There was a knotted mass of red scar tissue in it’s chest where Ruby had killed it the first time, two thick ropes of red scars one around it’s middle and one around it’s throat form the second and third times respectively.

Despite the chaos around It, It only had eyes for her.

“Students get back!” Shouted Professor Goodwitch from somewhere behind them as a wave of her magic went straight for It. It brushed it off like water and contained to advance.

“Miss Rose what are you doing? Get back here now!” Professor Goodwitch demanded. Ruby didn’t listen, shifting her weight slightly and adjusting her grip on Crescent Rose.

“Hey Buddy.” She called. “Back to play?”

It swiped one massive paw at her, she ducked, spun Crescent Rose to catch It’s arm as it passed her head and swore as it bit into, but not through, the flesh. As It started to pull her off the ground Ruby fired, cutting through the limb and freeing Crescent Rose.

The paw dissolved into rose petals and It roared, swinging at her with It’s undamaged arm. Ruby spun Crescent Rose, ducked the blow, and shot into the ground, shooting up into the air. It tracked her, and Ruby knew It wasn’t going to fall for the same trick twice. Shifting her weight had Crescent Rose turn in the air and Ruby fried three times at It’s back. Two went wide, one struck between two spines and distracted it just long enough.

Ruby flipped again, holding Crescent Rose above her like an umbrella and fired twice into the air, falling even faster. The curve of Crescent Rose caught It in the shoulder and sliced half way through. Another shot and It was bisected, and dissolving into rose petals.

Ruby breathed heavily adrenalin still pumping and spun Crescent Rose to take out another two Beowolves that were trying to take advantage of the distraction.

Ruby was shaking as the teachers packed students into the shuttle for emergency evacuation. Several people would be spending time in the infirmary and everyone was giving Ruby a wide berth.

“What was that thing?” people whispered, glancing at Ruby from the corner of their eyes.

“I’ve never heard of a Beowolf that big before.” Said someone.

Ruby shut her eyes and held on to the strap, shutting her eyes and breathing deep, slow breaths.

* * *

 

“What the hell was that?” Weiss demanded, marching into their dorm room. “Do you have any idea how stupid that was? That thing could have killed you! And you just decided to fight it?” Weiss growled.

“I didn’t have a choice.” Ruby protested.

“Of course you had a choice!” Weiss threw her arms into the air. “You could have, Should Have, let the professors deal with it! Or left it to someone who wasn’t fifteen! Instead you had to show off!”

“I wasn’t showing off!” Ruby growled. “I’m the only one who had a chance against it!”

“Ugh why are you being so-“

“Weiss.” Yang interrupted. “Ruby’s telling the truth, she’s the only one who can fight that… Thing.” Yang shuddered. “It’s-“ She bit off the sentence, eyes flicking to Ruby.

“It’s my soulmate.” Ruby said, looking Weiss in the eye. “Every time It finds me I’m the only one who can touch it and it keeps coming back. It only comes after me. “ Ruby looked over at Yang. “My mark got sharp this morning, I didn’t think it would be this bad.”

“What do you mean got sharp?” Weiss asked. “What do you mean that was your soulmate GRIM DON’T HAVE SOULS.”

“I-“ Ruby took a deep breath. “My mark comes and goes. I know that It’s forming because the mark is vague and transparent, and then it gets stronger and clearer the closer I come to… well to something like today.” Ruby looked away. “Once It’s dead the mark goes away again. It’s been like this for years.”

“How is that possible?” Weiss exclaimed.

“I don’t know but that’s the truth.”

“A soulmate dying is supposed to be… horrible.” Blake said carefully.

“Yeah.” Ruby sighed, wrapping an arm around her stomach, “Yeah, it really is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3\. Ruby fought Beowolves. It was a running joke to her friends, that If Ruby was around a Beowolf was sure to follow.
> 
> "Like Red Riding Hood's gritty reboot." Olive said as yet another school camping trip ended in Beowolf attacks.
> 
> "Doesn't she get eaten?" Ruby asked, scuffing her foot against the ground as she waited for Dad to collect her. It was a good thing Signal was a Hunter School, the students knew how to stay alive.
> 
> "Yeah, but reboot! You'll probably be a super huntress assassin or something." Olive shrugged. "No one blames you."
> 
> "Yes they do." Ruby muttered. Grey had made his opinion very clear.
> 
> "No one who matters blames you." Olive amended. "It's not like it's actually your fault."
> 
> "Can we not?" Ruby asked. "I just, I'm so sick of this!"
> 
> \--------
> 
> 2\. This is what Yang remembered:
> 
> There had been snow, and she'd forgotten a jacket for herself but Ruby had a blanket. 
> 
> There had been nothing around until Ruby started crying.
> 
> \-------
> 
> 1\. Once upon a time there was a princess.
> 
> Her kingdom was small and isolated from the rest of the land by a large sea. Her people relied on the fish that spawned there each year to survive.
> 
> One year the fish didn't come.when the people pulled in their nets they were empty. The Princess, desperate to help her people, begged aid from the nearby kingdom's.
> 
> But it would takes days for her request to reach them, weeks before any aid would come. If it would come.
> 
> The people were afraid. There was little food and despair was thick in the air. And with that despair came the Grimm.


	20. Jaune/Pyrrha: Brighter Than Gold

Jaune was good at finding the third choice, the one that no one else even thought was a choice.

Example: Jaune was told graduate and become a hunter or fail and become literally anything else. Jaune chose option C, met up with some very shady characters who supplied perfect transcripts and brilliant character references.

Beacon wasn't supposed to start out by launching him off a cliff to his death. That really seemed like something that should be on the brochure. Jaune had been looking forward to an orientation week where he could get to know all the other incoming students in a nice relaxed environment. A nice relaxed environment that he could bluff his way though.

And, if anyone ever asked that was why he hadn't recognised his soulmate.

* * *

 

Jaune had grown up knowing that he was the one who had to identify himself to his soulmate. The red "Hello" on the back of his hand was as generic as they come. Not that that was a bad thing, lots of people just said hello, it was polite and inoffensive and really hard to track down.

So Jaune made a personal effort to introduce himself with his name. "Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue," would give his name and personality to his soulmate so they could find him.

Or it would have, if that was what he actually said. Jaune Arc: Makes Things Harder For Everyone Involved.

* * *

 

_So, this is how I die, my parents were right hunting really wasn't for me. Wish I didn't pay that mob dude for transcripts now. Sorry Hello I wish I'd gotten to meet you._

There was a flicker of bronze and Jaune slammed into a tree trunk, a bronze spear skin tingingly close to his neck.

"Thank you!" He shouted, eyeing Pyrrha's spear. An experiential jiggle proved that he wasn't going to come lose anytime soon.

"I'm sorry!" Came faintly back.

"It's fine." Jaune said to himself. "I'll just hang around here." Hopefully without anything nasty coming along.

When had this seemed like a good idea again? Because now he was hanging in a tree in a Grimm filled forest it was seeming less and less of a good idea. A breeze rustled the leaves around him and Jaune felt very suddenly alone.

* * *

 

The edge of his armour had started to really dig into his throat when Jaune heard footsteps approaching. The thought of being found pinned to a tree by his potential teammate was enough to get him moving again.

"Come on, come on! Stupid!" Jaune muttered trying to tug the spear out of his hood. The angle, and the fact that he didn't want to hit the ground and have the spear go through him, wasn't making it any easier.

The footsteps stopped and Jaune chanced a look down. With a sheepish grin he waved down at Weise. She looked him up and down before she turned on her heal and stalked off. Jaune sighed and slumped down as far as his armour would let him.

"Jaune?" Came a voice from below.

Startled from his self-flagellation Jaune looked down at Pyrrha ignoring the rush of relief that seeing her brought on. After all, it was only that she had to free him if she wanted her weapon back.

"Do you… Have any spots left on your team?" She asked looking up at him.

"Very funny." Jaune muttered, crossing his arms and looking away. But only for a moment before he was looking back at her and grinning. "A little help?" He asked, gesturing up at the weapon.

"Oh, of course." Pyrrha agreed, eyeing the branches near him critically before jumping up to a branch that she shouldn't have been able to reach. "Are you ready?" she asked, hands wrapped around the spear's hilt.

"As I'll ever be." Jaune joked with a smile. Pyrrha nodded and yanked hard on the spear. It came out like a knife through butter, Jaune must have been close to freeing himself.

Jaune dropped to the ground like a stone. The landing, while rough, wasn't as bad as he feared. Through some miracle, and he had to be due for one by now, his sword landed to the side instead of under him.

"Are you ok?" Pyrrha called down, sounding worried.

"I'm fine!" Jaune grinned as he sat up. "We should probably get moving?" He suggested.

"Okay." Pyrrha agreed, she checked the ground, and jumped down landing neatly and far more comfortably than Jaune. "Do you know where we need to go?"

"Not in a directional sense?" Jaune smiled sheepishly. "Lead the way?" he asked, accepting her hand to pull himself up. His legs didn't quite remember the whole 'balance' thing yet.

"We can wait, if you need a minuet…" Pyrrha suggested.

"Psh no, I'm fine." Jaune brushed it off. "Let's get moving."

"Alright." She said, moving off. "This way, I think."

* * *

 

They had been walking undisturbed for what felt like ages when Jaune heard something that definitely wasn't natural forest sounds.

"Did you hear that?" He asked Pyrrha, twisting his head to the side.

"Gunfire." She agreed. "It seems some of our comrades have encountered the enemy." She didn't sound happy. Jaune didn't blame her, if there was a fight going on close enough for them to hear then they were probably headed closer to Grimm territories.

Jaune started forward, trying to ignore the nervous feeling in his gut, and found himself on his back steering up at the trees. Blinking quickly Jaune stifled a groan as he realised what happened.

"Jaune! I'm sorry!" Pyrrha gasped.

"It's ok, just a scratch, see?" he added, moving his hand. "Nothing to worry about."

"Why didn't you activate your Aura?" Pyrrha asked with concern.

"My Aura?" Jaune echoed. The only thing he remembered about aura was that it created your soulmark. That… probably wasn't what she was going for.

"Jaune, do you know what Aura is?" Pyrrha asked.

"Do I know what Aura is? Do you know what Aura is?" Jaune deflected, hoping that she wouldn't notice.

"Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It bears our burdens and shields our hearts. Have you ever felt you were being watched without knowing that someone was there?" Pyrrha asked. Her voice had slipped into something like teacher mode.

"Ah, yes?" Jaune answered when it seemed like she wasn't going to go on.

"That's Aura. With practice, our Aura can be our shield. Everyone has it, even animals. Although only in Humans and Faunus does it create soulmark."

"What about monsters?" Jaune asked. This was making a lot more sense than the class he'd had.

"No. The monsters we fight lack a soul. They are creatures of Grimm, the manifestation of anonymity. They are the darkness, and we are the light." Pyrrha continued.

"Right, that's why we fight them." Jaune agreed.

"It's not about why; it's about knowing. Understanding dark and light helps us manifest our Aura. Everyone has some of both.

"By baring your soul outward as a force, you can deflect harm. All of our tools and equipment are conduits for Aura. You protect yourself and your soul when fighting." Pyrrha finished.

"It's like a force field!" Jaune realised as little bits of knowledge slipped into place.

"Yes, if you want to look at it that way." Pyrrha agreed and Jaune came to the shocking revelation that she didn't think he was an idiot for not knowing about Aura. "Now close your eyes and concentrate."

"Um, okay?" on what? He wanted to ask as he shut his eyes.

Pyrrha placed he hand on his shoulder and he felt something click into place.

" _-and by my shoulder protect thee._ " Jaune heard, Pyrrha's voice having an odd echo. That was pushed to the side by the sudden awareness oh her that he had, that she was suddenly tired, and that allowed him to catch her when she stumbled forward.

"Pyrrha?" he asked concerned.

"Oh." She said. "Hello soulmate." She smiled.

"Are you okay?" Jaune repeated not registering what she said.

"It's all right. I used my Aura to unlock yours, but the energy that protects you now is your own. If I had known I would have asked someone else." She stood back up. "It's not what you're supposed to do within the first day of meeting your soulmate."

"Oh… Oh" Jaune said as it sunk in. "Hi."

"Hello."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry y'all I had to spend break trying (and failing) to catch up with one of my classes after bombing the midterm :C AP Style sucks. Still failing, but not as badly as I was. Progress!
> 
> I don't think aura merging is going to be a running theme, I just liked the idea of Jaune and Pyrrha doing the aura version of a vegas wedding accidentally.


	21. Velvet/Cardin: It'll Last Longer

Velvet grew out her hair and pretended her soulmark hadn't come in. It was unusual for someone to be her age without a soulmark but that was much better than the alternative. When the other girls compared handwriting in primary school Velvet practiced her hand to hand.

The world wasn't kind to Faunus, Velvet was just another example.

* * *

Velvet got her first camera for her seventh birthday. It wasn't anything fancy, a 35mm film camera that Dad got on sale, single lenses and hardly any zoom. The controls gummed up on occasion and sometimes it just ate film.

Velvet loved it.

For the next two months Velvet had a photography book with her at all times. Muttering about F-stops and shutter speed and depth of field and angles of motion and-

Everyone in the class had their photo taken, rolls of film started to build up in the shoebox under Velvet's bed. Eventually her parents painted the attic window black and the bare light bulb red. It was cheaper than getting photos developed every few days.

That lead to more experiments, of course. Velvet played with layering two negatives over each other instead of double exposing. She coated her film in a detergent solution and boiled it in water to create crazy colours.

It came to no one's surprise that when Velvet was told to create a weapon, she began with a camera.

* * *

Photography started with the daguerreotype. The negative was captured directly to a polished silver plate, making the image very sharp, but unable to be reproduced. While some people painted colour into the image most left it with the silver backing. Due to the nature of the form the Daguerreotype would only show up at certain angles, and at others looked and acted just like a mirror. As a result Daguerreotypes were often referred to as 'the mirror with a memory.'

Velvet liked the idea of that. Of the camera remembering what it saw.

* * *

There are two things you were guaranteed to find in an antique store. The first would always be a magnifying glass, the kind that immediately brought to mind old fashioned deactivates.

The other was old photos. Daguerreotypes, calotypes, tin types. Photos of people that families didn't want to keep, and didn't want to throw away. Solders staring blank faced for eternity.

They gave her the idea. The way that you could twist the photo onto the right angle and see your reflection with their image layered over it like a mask.

Mirror with a memory.

* * *

Between classes, extracurricular combat training, photography, trying to stretch the abilities of her weapon, and her part time job Velvet didn't have time to think about her soulmark. Unless she tied her hair back no one could really notice it.

And once she started wearing turtle necks, no one would see it.

Velvet didn't care, if they wanted her to show it off they shouldn't have been so rude.

Even if they hadn't technically said anything yet.

* * *

Statistically 73.4% of hunters and huntresses met their soulmate during their time at an academy. Depending on the study anywhere between 30% and 50% of them were in a team with their soulmate.

Velvet spent a month on edge. Between Team CFVY getting used to living with each other (and everyone being _so loud_ ) and classes being three steps up from what Velvet was used to she really didn't want to meet her soulmate.

And she didn't. Not to say that everyone was polite and accepting but no one said her words exactly. Not to her.

* * *

Velvet regretted her class choices the moment she realised that, like 90% of the student body, Coco, Fox, and Yatsu had all taken history in first year. Unfortunately none of them had failed the class.

Even worse, history would be when the rest of the team had their lunch period. Not only would Velvet be in a class filled with freshmen, but she'd be eating with them too.

Ugh.

"Velvet, you need to go to class." Fox said from where he was laying on Coco's bed, one had lazily running over the brail in his textbook. "You're going to be late."

"But _Freshmen_ Fox." Velvet protested. "Could one of you not have done the nice thing and failed?"

"If you keep complaining I'm not going to give you my notes." Fox said casually. As Fox had passed the class with the highest grade in the year that was not an idle threat.

"I'm going, I'm going." Velvet muttered, kicking her shoes on.

"Make friends!" Fox called as she left. Velvet sighed, sensing the start of a long term joke.

* * *

The class was filled with new students, all far too excited for a theory class.

Velvet found a free seat and got ready to take notes, from what her team had told her

The professor didn't give you time to breathe, let alone write.

They weren't wrong.

* * *

Velvet was good about knowing her surroundings. Part of it was a photographers eye, the perfect photo wasn't going to wait around for you to be ready, part of it was combat training, the rest was being a Faunus.

It was the Faunus bit that helped her at lunch. She had a good sense for the people that were going to be bigoted assholes compared to those who were just going to be bigots.

So when the first year boy built like a brick house grinned at her she knew there was going to be trouble.

"What you eating, rabbit food?"

Velvet would have punched him, but that would have meant acknowledging that she had a relationship with the asshole.

She bit her tongue and kept walking.

* * *

Cardin Winchester is a bigot and a grade-A-asshole, but he also took a hit from an Ursa Major that was meant for her. So he might have gotten better over the past year.

Torchwick was being escorted into the military ship, the Atlas bots were being sent into the tunnel to keep the Grimm away until repairs could be made.

The students were gathering, uninjured, whole, and alive, in the plaza. Checking over weapons and each other and taking a moment to be thankful for being alive.

Cardin was looking pale and sitting off to the side. Punching him now wouldn't be worth it.

"Are you alright?" Velvet asked, sitting near but not next to him.

"Yeah, just a bit… wait-" His eyebrows scrunched and he started to roll up his sleeve. "Are you-?"

"Oh yes." Velvet grinned, snapping a photo of his face, the mix of shock, horror, shame, and exhaustion making for a very interesting expression. "Yes I am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daguerreotypes are my favorite type of old photography... Even if there was a whole lot of toxic attached to using it, like mercury. So I won't ever be using one. Sadly. They are super pretty though.
> 
> Yeah you get photography facts in this one, next time it's probably going to be either AP Style rules or bread assize facts. (Side note: if any of you have books/articles to recommend about that they would be much appreciated)
> 
> Everyone should read The Last Airship by AndyH on ff.net because it's so great please check it out.


	22. Pyrrha/Nora: A Word or Two

Pyrrha was eight when she started to make a name for herself. Young enough to be considered a prodigy, get in newspapers, magazines. It might have ended there, when her year mates caught up.

But Pyrrha wasn't just a prodigy, she was a genius. Her year mates didn't catch up. While Pyrrha won regional and national tournaments, went from ribbons to medals to trophies, her friends didn't.

* * *

When she looked back Pyrrha couldn't say when the media got serious about her. When her interviews stopped being a puff paragraph in the local newspaper and became prime time.

It seemed like everyone had woken up one morning knowing her name. It was simultaneously really cool and really weird.

And, rather isolating.

(At night Pyrrha traced the pink words around her throat " _Hi I'm Nora! And this is Ren!_ " During the day she covered it with a layer of foundation and her neck guard.)

* * *

Pyrrha started meeting fans after her second win at the Mistral Region Tournament. Official Meet and Greets started happening where people lined up to say hello to her. Actual queues of people actually lined up to actually talk to her.

Pyrrha had been unprepared for fans. They had all waited so long to see her and she didn't want to be rude even as the line dragged on and all Pyrrha wanted to do was sleep.

"Hello, what's your name?"

* * *

"Oh wow are you… Are you Pyrrha Nikos?" Asked a green haired girl, rocking back and forth on her heals.

"Yes, I am. What's your name?" Pyrrha asked.

"Oh, I'm Olive! Oh wow it's really awesome to meet you? I watched all your battles – well the televised ones anyway. Um, I'm sorry, ah, hi?" Olive asked, blushing.

"Hello!" Pyrrha smiled.

"Could I get a photo with you? Please?" Olive asked, holding up her scroll.

"Of course." Pyrrha said bending down and wrapping and arm around Olive's shoulders. The scroll flashed.

"Oh my Dust! thank you! thank you!" Olive cheered.

"You're welcome." Pyrrha smiled and waved off the now bouncing girl.

* * *

Pyrrha wasn't entirely sure that launching the incoming class off a cliff was fair. Looking along the line there were definitely people who hadn't expected this.

People like Jaune, a few launchers down, who was looking increasingly panicked at the thought of initiation. There was also an orange haired girl who looked thrilled in a very childlike manner that made Pyrrha smile.

And then Pyrrha was flying through the air.

Scanning the forest Pyrrha attempted to get her bearings, a task that was a lot harder when you were in free fall. Jaune was screaming and flailing through the air, unlike everyone else.

Pyrrha touched on her armour with her semblance, the metal plates familiar to her on every level. Carefully Pyrrha slowed her fall, twisting around to land on a sturdy tree branch.

She landed light as a feather.

Jaune was still screaming through the air, Pyrrha could feel his armour, could pinpoint his spot in the sky.

He wasn't slowing down.

Pyrrha pulled out Milo and made a show out of aiming. When she threw the spear it was boosted by her semblance, heading straight to him.

"Thank you!" She heard faintly.

"Sorry!" She shouted back, settling Akoúo̱ against her arm.

She had just thrown her main weapon halfway across a Grimm infested forest after all.

* * *

The Beowolfs claws scraped against Akoúo̱ and Pyrrha jumped back and to the side. Temporarily out of range of the claws Pyrrha flung Akoúo̱ into the Beowolf. The sharpened edge of the shield bit into the creature's flesh before Pyrrha tugged it back with her semblance.

The Beowolf howled with pain, turning angry red eyes on Pyrrha. It lunged at her and Pyrrha jumped up into the tree, perching on a branch just long enough to take aim.

Pyrrha dropped from the branch, Akoúo̱'s sharp edge biting through the Beowolf's neck.

The Beowolf dissolved as Pyrrha reoriented herself and set off toward Jaune.

* * *

The Deathstalker was right behind her as Pyrrha raced toward the visible clearing. With visible people.

Every step was sure and Pyrrha set her sights on the distant group. Faster, faster, tree, faster, tree, tree, tree-

The Deathstalker rammed into her back and sent her flying to crash at their feet.

"Great the gangs all here! Now we can die together." Said one of the girls.

"Not if I can help it." Said another.

"Ruby wait!"

Pyrrha sat up in time to see the girl in red, Ruby, slam into the head of the Deathstalker. Didn't she know about the armour plating? That was dangerous for the most skilled hunters.

And then it got worse.

As the blond girl ran forward Pyrrha accepted the hand up from the dark haired boy.

"Thank you." She smiled, and the boy nodded.

"Hi! I'm Nora! And this is Ren!" Exclaimed the orange haired girl.

"Hello," Pyrrha breathed, eyes wide. "I'm Pyrrha."

"Hhrr," Nora breathed in. "Oh My Dust it's so good to meet you I've been looking for you for ages and I thought 'could it be that Pyrrha, it's not that common a name' but what were the chances but you're you and I'm me and Ren's Ren and this is so great I can't wait to get to know you!"

"You too." Pyrrha smiled, letting the words wash over her for a moment.

* * *

The plans of, as Jaune so elegantly put it, "run and live" were cut short by the Deathstalker and the Nevermore deciding to follow the humans.

It was a lot harder to fight when you were hyperaware of your New Soulmate.

Nora wielded a grenade launcher, or something similar. And Pyrrha felt her heart skip a beat as the girl dodged through Nevermore feathers to shoot at the creature. Obviously she was good, she was going to be at Beacon, and she and Ren seemed to know each other well, but still.

Pyrrha didn't want anything to happen to her.

For a group of strangers they came together fairly well. When Pyrrha had fought in team tournaments before it was with people that she trained with daily for months leading up to the event. Everyone here had barely had a conversation together.

Aside from Nora bumping Blake (Blake? Blake) off the platform that was unlucky.

So was Ren slamming into the stone block.

But they lived!

* * *

"Wait, you two are soulmates?" Jaune asked, pointing between Pyrrha and Nora.

"Yep!"

"Yes."

"I hope you're going to take responsibility." Ren said from where he was unpacking his bags. "Nora requires careful feeding and regular exercise-"

"REN!" Nora protested, throwing a pillow, Pyrrha's, at him. Despite having his back to the group he ducked the fluffy projectile.

"I think I can manage." Pyrrha smiled before Nora's second try hit her in the face.

"Woops?" Nora askes, eyes sparkling.

Pyrrha smiled back and, once Nora was unprepared, nailed the girl in the face with another pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really not great at Pyrrha's voice. I tried but I don't think I manged it properly.
> 
> Probably the last update for April? Might be anther one depending on how everything goes but I have 5 interviews (on camera) to scheduled, and a 15 page paper, and a poetry portfolio, and a photography portfolio, that I need to put together. Can I just say writing it out like that makes me want to cry? I am about 1/2 way through the next chapter though, so fingers crossed...


	23. Fox/Velvet: Finders Keepers

Fox is good at finding things. It comes up as a toddler when he toddles over to hidden treat stashes that he shouldn't be able to find, when his favourite toy (a stuffed red rabbit that he carried by the ears) never stayed lost.

It's cute for a kid, look at him getting into all those rooms and really Magenta should be keeping her chocolate stash better hidden if she doesn't want curious kids to get into it. That's just common sense.

It's funny until he falls down the stairs because someone left the gate unlocked. It's funny until Magenta snatches a bottle of drain cleaner out of his chubby toddler fingers. It's funny until their blind child manages to get into every non child safe product that has been hidden and locked away.

Magenta had never been prepared for this, for a child who should have been struggling with communication, or coordination or any of the things the doctors had warned her about when her boy was born with milky white eyes. Instead she had the judgmental looks from the playground mothers when Fox has bruises because he got into something again.

Fox keeps finding things no matter what Magenta does, eventually she stops trying.

* * *

 

It takes Fox six years to work out exactly what his semblance is. Any other kid who has control over their semblance at six, would have people nudging them at training schools and give them toy weapons to play with. But Fox is blind; no one is going to push a blind kid to the path of battling monsters that he can't even see.

Just to himself Fox thinks seeing is overrated. Maybe he can't see anything, but he can find whatever he is looking for. Sometimes he just knows what he needs to do to find Mama's chocolate stash, that if he runs his fingers under this spot that he'll find a treat. That's okay, no one worries about a kid finding stuff like that.

Sometimes though what Fox wants to find just arrives in his pocket. Like when he forgets the money for the pizza lunch and finds the teacher's wallet in his pocket. He would be in trouble for that, except his nose starts bleeding and he falls forward and knocks himself out on the corner of the desk.

He has to keep practicing though, because when he thinks about the words he has along the back of his neck, thinks about finding the person that says them, he just finds that he needs to practice.

Fox does practice, a lot and often. He walks down the street and finds all the lost change in his pocket. He takes pop quizzes and finds the right answer to circle. He finds the right words to talk Mama into martial arts classes.

Then things shift slightly. However he was using his semblance before was fine, but this was better.

Fox stand on the mats, bows at his opponent, and find the weak points in her defence, finds where she'll be before she gets there. He's good. He wins tournaments. Mama lets him take weapons classes as well. Fox leans to shoot and finds the target every time.

The application to Beacon finds its way into his pocket. There's a long talk with Mama, about what this means, about how hard it will be, about how expensive it will be. They find the money, Mama's signature finds its way onto the bottom of the from.

He's finding himself closer to the owner of those words, he can feel it.

* * *

 

Fox doesn't get lost, ever. If he knows where he's going then he knows where he is. And if he doesn't know where he's going then deciding on somewhere does the job just as well. If people are confused by a blind fist year walking through the school like it's home Fox doesn't notice. He knows he's getting closer.

But not close enough apparently, because he doesn't speak to them during the sleepover (and he found the best spot in the room, just in case), doesn't get to even when he gets launched off the top of a cliff. He can find his way to the ground safely, finds a partner in the girl that says he's a good shot for a blind guy.

There is a moment of getting used to each others presence, because they have been training to attack things and having someone new around can be an issue, especially when one person is blind and can't explain his shots better than "I just know."

It's not reassuring, but he doesn't get another try at the answer because a scream comes through the trees to the north of them. A human one, Fox's attention snaps to the sound. He's reaching out to find them before he even remembers that he's not alone anymore. But Cocoa is already falling into place on his left and a half step behind him.

"Fuck." She says. "Ursa Major and at least three Ursa." Cocoa tells him. "Two in the centre. Girl's standing, guy's down but I can't tell why."

It goes unspoken that it doesn't matter why the guy is down until they can fix it. Unfortunately that's all the time they get for planning, Fox can feel the shift of attention as the Ursa realise that there's someone else on the edge of the clearing.

Fox rolls his shoulders, lets the form settle over him easy as breathing, and finds. With two unknowns in the centre of all this he doesn't want to go shooting, blind kids with guns doesn't tend to be met with rational thinking. Instead he moves, leg snapping out at the right angle in the right spot and suddenly one of Cocoa's wide shots is a direct hit through the skull of the Ursa.

It's easy, so easy, to take them out. Until it isn't.

"Yatsuhashi!" The girl shouts again, desperate panic in her voice. Fox can hear the drag of a body over the ground and either way it's not good. Under his feet the crunch of something that might have been a weapon and he has a sudden terrible understanding of how this happened.

Fox's mind races, there isn't time, there's no time for anything that would work. Cocoa has stopped shooting and Fox doesn't know what that means but it can't be good.

The idea comes terrible and glorious.

"'Cocoa, catch me would you?" He asks and shifts all focus to the Ursa Major. He reaches out, feels his semblance stretch over it like a spider web. There is a howl of pain and Fox opens his hands to have the Ursa Major's claws fall out. Yatsuhashi drops with a thud but now he is next to an angry and hurting Ursa Major. Fox reaches out again, feels the blood start from his nose, the echoing in his ears, the thumping in his head saying he had done too much. All of it is pushed to the side.

He reaches out again, just like last time but different. He hasn't done this before but it has to work. His hands are clasped together again and he's shaking. His power connects and he finds what he's looking for.

Fox opens his hands and the heart of the Ursa Major hits the floor seconds before he does.

* * *

 

Fox wakes up to the sound of beeping and cautiously decides that he isn't dead yet. Only until Mama finds out of course, but small mercies. His head is thumping and he's going to be worse than useless for the next week at least, but he is alive to be useless.

He attempts movement and ends up groaning instead. Someone is there immediately, keeping him pressed onto the bed. "I didn't carry you here just for you to break yourself more." she says, the girl who had screamed. And Fox is amazed none of the machines react to that, because for how it feels to hear that there should be a reaction.

"I found you." he croaks, wincing at the feeling of his throat. A piece of ice is held to his lips and he takes it gratefully.

"Yeah, you did." She agrees. "I'm Velvet, I- thank you, Yatsuhashi's fine, you didn't have to-"

Fox manages to touch her arm, which is about all he has strength for. "No, I found you." he repeats because she has to be, who else would say that?

"Oh, Oh!" She's quiet for a moment. "If you ever do this again it's not an Ursa you're going to need to worry about."

Fox laughs until he coughs, which considering the state of him is about two seconds, and Velvet gets kicked out of the room. Cocoa calls them both idiots when she comes to see him, and say that they're all on a team together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live! Apologies for the delay, I lost all the chapters I was working on and along with uni stuff it took a while to get back into it. Hopefully that won't be happening again. Fox's semblance here is based on John Taylor from the Nightside series and is 100% the power I want. Also, I might be branching out into other soulmate ID's for the double ups (there's been some cool ones on tumblr....) but I still love first lines so we'll see.
> 
> Also I'm going to put a pause on accepting parings for a while, just until the list is manageable again, because we're this close to triple digits, not including double ups o.o

**Author's Note:**

> So I finally contributed to the FNDM, and it's soulmates. Request parings/meetings/words and I'll do my best to deliver. Tags subject to change as chapters get added.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [with whom you can work well](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11468805) by [justaddfiction](https://archiveofourown.org/users/justaddfiction/pseuds/justaddfiction)




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